Safety Alert: Cook Lake Campground Temporary Closure

Closure due to Emergency Dam Repairs 

Sundance, W.Y., May 22, 2026 – From May 26, 2026, through May 27, 2026, the Cook Lake Campground on the Bearlodge Ranger District, Black Hills National Forest will be closed for public safety from 12:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. due to the need for emergency repairs on the lake dam.   

There will be technicians completing the required repairs to the lake outlet structure. Due to the heavy equipment on site and the high potential for hazardous conditions, the campground will be closed for the duration of the repair work for public safety.  

A barricade and signs will notify the public of the restricted access to the closed area and be removed when the repairs are completed.

Those individuals with a reservation through Recreation.gov will be notified of the need for the emergency closure.

For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit  https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/blackhills.

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.