Brush Lake State Park is a public recreation area located four miles east of the community of Dagmar, Montana.[4] The park surrounds three sides of the highly alkaline, 280-acre (110 ha), sixty-foot-deep Brush Lake.[5]
| Brush Lake State Park | |
|---|---|
  Location in Montana | |
| Location | Sheridan County, Montana, United States |
| Nearest town | Dagmar, Montana |
| Coordinates | 48°36′10″N 104°6′46″W / 48.60278°N 104.11278°W[1] |
| Area | 450 acres (180 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,959 ft (597 m)[1] |
| Designation | Montana state park |
| Established | 2004[2] |
| Visitors | 35,510 (in 2023)[3] |
| Administrator | Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks |
| Website | Brush Lake State Park |
History
editBrush Lake became a popular gathering place in the early years of the twentieth century, when residents of the surrounding communities were drawn to its clear, deep, spring-fed waters.[5] Hans Christian Hansen built a summer resort on the lake after filing homesteading papers in 1914. A bar and cafe were added to the site by 1920, with a dance hall added in the 1940s.[6] In 2004, the state purchased 450 acres surrounding the northern half of the lake to create a state park, while the lake's southern portion remained in private hands.[7]
Activities and amenities
editThe park offers hiking, swimming, picnicking and camping facilities as well as opportunities for boating and canoeing.[4] The lake's high mineral content makes it inhospitable to fish life.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Brush Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Park Origin by Date". Montana State Parks. 2014. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (May 6, 2024). "2023 Montana State Parks Annual Visitation Report" (PDF). fwp.mt.gov. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Brush Lake State Park". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
- ^ a b c McKean, Andrew (September–October 2005). "Oasis on the Prairie". Montana Outdoors. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ Aarstad, Rich; et al. (2009). Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman. Helena, Montana: Montana Historical Society Press. p. 33. ISBN 9780975919613. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ "Minutes". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. December 15–19, 2004. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
External links
edit- Brush Lake State Park Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
- Brush Lake State Park Trail Map Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks