Situated on the Belle Fourche River, Keyhole State Park and Reservoir are surrounded by history’s reminders of the trials and tribulations of the American West.

Located just west of the Black Hills, the areas known today as Keyhole State Park and Keyhole Reservoir once belonged to the Sioux in accordance to the Sioux Treaty of 1868. However, the 1874 discovery of gold would instigate the eventual confiscation of land by the U.S. Government.

As with much of the American West, early settlers to Wyoming struggled with the arid climate. In the 1930s, the Bureau of Reclamation began surveying Cheyenne and subsequent Belle Fourche River Basins to locate a reservoir. The Keyhole Reservoir was built in 1952 and remains under the management of the Bureau of Reclamation.

The park derived the name “Keyhole” from a local ranch situated near the Belle Fourche River. The park serves as a prime location for a host of recreational activities such as swimming, hiking, boating, fishing, and bird watching.

Devils Tower National Monument can be seen from the park.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Wesley Meiss.