Black Hills National Forest · South Dakota, Wyoming

Cook Lake

1.0 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 88 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 24-36 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike · seasonal: hiking 04/16-10/31

Picnic areas

Along the way Cook Lake Recreation Area

Trailheads Cliff Swallow Trailhead (Trail #91) Drive there · Cook Lake Trailhead (Trail #88) Drive there

Blacktail Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Blacktail Motorized Trailhead is the primary gateway to dozens of miles of OHV trails west of Cook Lake. The trailhead provides access to extensive OHV routes on the Bearlodge Ranger District and has some of the most challenging routes on the district. The area is also popular with hunters during the fall and typically provides excellent hunting opportunities. Trails are open to OHVs 50-inch wide or less.

Access Blacktail Motorized Trailhead from Hulett, WY via WY Highway 24W travel 1.3 miles southwest to Crook County Road (209) (Black Tail Road). Turn southeasterly (left) on Crook County (Black Tail) Road (209) and proceed for 9.2 miles. Then turn south (right) on National Forest Service Road (NFSR) 849. Proceed for approximately 0.75 mile to the trailhead on the west (right) side of the road.

To access Blacktail Motorized Trailhead from Sundance, (Exit 185 of Interstate 90), travel northwest on US14 for approximately 0.9 miles to Crook County 63, National Forest Service Road (NFSR) 838. Turn north (right) and stay on Warren Peak Road (NFSR 838) for 12.8 miles to NFSR 849 / Taylor County Road. Travel generally north on NFSR 849 approximately 4.6 miles to Blacktail Trailhead, which is on the west (left) side of the road.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Cook Lake Trailhead (Trail #88) the Forest Service's write-up

Note: A segment of the Cook Lake Trail (#88) is currently closed. See Special Order & Map for more information.

The Cook Lake Trailhead provides access to Trail 88. Cook Lake Trail is a 1.0 mile trail with some stairs and a stepping-stone crossing of Beaver Creek, the lake’s inlet. The trail generally parallels the lakeshore on the south, east, north, and northwest sides of the lake. Hikers using the trail must “double-back” since the analysis of and safety precautions for a landslide southwest of the lake now bars hiking on the southwest segment of the lakeshore. Much of Trail 88 is fully accessible on the lake’s south and east shores. There are opportunities to see various breeds of ducks and geese, and osprey, blue heron, and bald eagles. In the water near the shore, very large fish called white amur are often seen. These hybrid fish are distant relatives of carp and were introduced into the lake about 15 years ago to help control aquatic vegetation. The Forest Service allows non-motorized boating. Toilets are available at the Cook Lake Recreation Area.

Mountain lions, although rarely seen, also call this area home.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Black Hills National Forest

Other trails from the same trailheads

All 535 trails in Black Hills National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.