Escape to the Park

The past, present, and recovery of the Legion Lake Fire

You definitely won’t want to sleep in and miss this. At 9:00am Saturday, February 3, Custer State Park will host three guests at the Visitor Center who will talk about the Legion Lake Fire and its impacts.

Starting Monday, Dec 11, 2017 the Legion Lake Fire was the 3rd largest wild fire within the Black Hills, impacting slightly more than 54,000 acres.

Jay Wickham, a Fire Management Officer with SD Wildland Fire, will talk about the history of fire within the area and the initial plan in dealing with the Legion Lake Fire. Travis Lipp, a Fire Management Specialist with the Bureau of Land Management, will talk about the fire from an operations standpoint; the progression of the fire, the strategies and tactics utilized in controlling the spread of the fire, and why those particular strategies were chosen. Finally, Mark Hendrix, Resource Program Manager with Custer State Park, will talk about the recovery efforts and looking to the future.

A park entrance license is required to enter the park and can be purchased at the Park Office during the week or at the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center, located at the intersection of Hwy 16A and Wildlife Loop Road, is open from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Friday, and 9:00am to 4:00pm Saturday and Sunday.