Bighorn Outdoor Specialists — Local services in Great Falls

One of the BEST bike shop experiences I have had in a long time, and I cannot stress that enough! Talking with Jay was a real pleasure! His depth of knowledge and customer service was incredible and honestly caught me off guard. I have been on a bike since the 60's in one form or another and have spent a lot of time with some of the best professionals in the industry and this was my first time in Great Falls. Technically I wasn't in town for the bike shop, I was simply passing through on a cross-country road trip and decided to spend the night here until my next stop. While I was here I thought I would take some time and service my bike because of the damage I had done when i was up in the Glacier National Park area. I have to be honest, I really wasn't expecting much when I only found one true bike shop in town. (For clarification, I do not consider stores like Scheels or REI as bike shops. Yes they often work on bikes, but in my experience they don't usually employ the best or most knowledgeable staff.) So when I came to Bighorn I really wasn't expecting to find what I needed, I was mostly just killing time. Finding the store wasn't easy, and when you do find it they really don't look like much from the outside. But don't let the location and terrible curb-appeal stop you from visiting this store. The customer service inside is some of the best I have ever had anywhere on any continent! They also have A LOT more selection of bikes and parts than you would expect. Jay not only helped me fix my problems, but sold me some upgrades that I never would have expected in a place like this. I know this review is long-winded, but trust me when I say there is so much more I could talk about. My recommendation does not come lightly. I could easily drop 2 stars for the terrible location, outward appearance, and lack of organization because of all the product they have crammed in a tiny space. But their service and selection of product is...

I bought one of the original JetBoil stoves when they first came out from here... it's 2025 now and I still have it, still take it backpacking and even car camping regularly.

Of course, just about anyone can sell you a jetboil, especially now, but at the time it was the latest and greatest, so to speak, and one of the folks working there already had half a dozen outings with theirs, including in colder weather and was able to answer some good questions and was happy to share some personal pros and cons.

That's just one item of many that I've bought from Bighorn. I live in Butte now, but I'm so happy to see Bighorn is still in business. I have other good quality items that were recommended by staff here that I bought as a teenager/early 20-something that now, even in my 40s, still make regular backpacking trips with me.

Anyone can sell you gear, but the personal recommendations and maintenance tips that the staff at Bighorn made to me as a young hiker have made all the difference. Thanks for the stuff, but more importantly, thank you all for your time and genuine, heart-felt recommendations, even the non gear related ones; hiking suggestions and such too.

May you all have many miles on your boots, you are worth way more than...

Never heard of the place until this last weekend. Needed a tent pole replacement kit. North 40 revered me to Bighorn. Called and asked and they had the replacement poles. (Carbon fiber)drive there and Shelly helped me with the pile, a patch kit for my tent and showed me the clearance room. Went upfront to pay and after Shelly helped me so professionally and was attentive, I asked if she knew about hiking boots. She replied she was very knowledgeable. I’ve been looking for boots for about two weeks. Scheels of great falls lost a sale when I asked two different associates about boots but they didn’t know anything. When Shelly told me about the different boots and asked what I wanted in a boot, she got me a 10.5 and a 10.5 wide. The wide is what I needed. She asked if I was happy with them and I said yes. She insisted on testing them for comfort and after a test I walked out of the store with an 11 wide boot, tent pole repair kit, and a tent patch kit. For $190 pair of boots, they earned my business. Shelly even helped me with some hiking trails to take my dogs on and camp. Top notch place of business, customer service through the roof, and...