Black Hawk State Park

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Park Alerts & Notices

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Park Alerts & Notices

About the Park

Black Hawk State Park is home to the southernmost glacial lake in the United States and is a historical icon of Lake View. Many of the park’s structures were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and serve as beautiful locations for picnics and outdoor events. 

The city of Lake View holds two annual events at Black Hawk Lake -- the Lake View Water Carnival in July and Arctic Open golf event in February.

Plan Your Visit

• Hike the Stubb Severson Nature Trail, a 1.6 mile trail where visitors can learn about the park’s plant life at 20 marked sites along the path. Wildlife is often spotted on the trail, including deer, waterfowl and songbirds. Visitors can also venture along the Sauk Trail, a 33-mile hard-surfaced, multi-use trail excellent for hiking and biking, along with snowmobiling and cross country skiing in the winter.
• Boat at Black Hawk’s 957-acre natural lake. Black Hawk Lake has no motor size restrictions and four boat ramps are located near the water. Swimming beaches at the Thirty Acres campground and Crescent Beach are available for day-use in the summer.
• Fish for channel catfish, bluegill, sunfish and more at Black Hawk Lake. Anglers can fish from the universally accessible fishing pier, the nearby Fish House or from the lakeshore where public access is available. A fish cleaning station is located near the Thirty Acres boat ramp.
• Disc-Golf at the park or enjoy a mini-golf course at the Camp Crescent campground. The disc-golf course starts near the Thirty Acres shelter and boat ramp.
• Camp at the Thirty Acres Campground near the south side of the lake or the Camp Crescent grounds near the city of Lake View. Both campgrounds offer electric and non-electric sites, modern restrooms and showers. Sand volleyball courts and two playground structures offer fun recreation nearby. One-fourth of the campsites are available for self-registration on a first-come, first-serve basis, and advance campsite and cabin reservations can be made online through the online reservation system for Black Hawk State Park.
• Reserve one of four open shelters for an outdoor gathering during your visit. The Arrowhead Shelter and Denison Beach Shelter are ADA accessible, and the Arrowhead Gazebo is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Advance shelter reservations can be made through the online reservation system for Black Hawk State Park.

After Hours Fishing

Open to fishing activity between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 4 a.m. in addition to normal park hours. All fishing must be done from the bank in the areas designated for each lake or river. Vessels are not permitted on the lakes after 10:30 p.m. Parking is allowed in specially marked lots only.

The area between the road and lake running from the marina at Drillings Point on the northeast end of the lake approximately three-fourths of a mile southwest, to a point where the park boundary decreases to include only the roadway.

Amenities at a Glance

• Disc golf course
• Mini-golf course
• Volleyball court
• Playground
• Interpretive trail
• Hiking trails
• Swimming beach
• Boat ramps (4)
• Fish house
• Universally accessible fishing pier
• Fish cleaning station
• Shelters
• Gazebo
• Modern restroom
• Showers
• Family Deluxe Cabin
• Electric campsites
• Full hook-up campsites
• Non-electric campsites
• Youth group only campsites
• Dump station

Explore the Park

• Black Hawk State Park map and flyer
• Black Hawk State Park campground map