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Keyhole State Park

Wyoming  >  United States

This large reservoir and relatively uncrowded park is a year-round birding hotspot in Wyoming.

Added* by Floyd Perkins
Most recent update 17 února 2026

Description

Keyhole State Park is located in Northeast Wyoming on the edge of the Black Hills. The park features a 14,000 surface-acre reservoir created by the Keyhole Dam and 2,000 acres of land surrounding the reservoir. The combination of large reservoir, grasslands, and some woodland attracts a diversity of birds.

More than 200 species of birds can be found in the area. Some of the most commonly observed species in the summer months include the Wild Turkey, American White Pelican, Osprey, Western Meadowlark, Vesper Sparrow and Savannah Sparrow. Some of the most commonly observed species in the winter months include Bald Eagle, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Red Crossbill. In areas with low water levels you can find waders like American Avocet, Spotted Sandpiper, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs and Stilt Sandpiper.

Details

Access

Keyhole State Park is located near Moorcroft in northeastern Wyoming. The park is along Wyoming Highway 24, which connects to larger highways like I-90, making it reachable by road from nearby cities such as Gillette or Rapid City. Press a P on the map for directions to a parking. The daily use fee to enter Keyhole State Park is $ 7 per vehicle for Wyoming residents. For non-residents, the fee is $ 12 per vehicle (2026).

There is a fullyaccessible concrete trail running from Park Headquarters to the Marina (1.65 miles). There are also several natural terrain, single-track trails throughout the park which include the Coulter Bay Recreational Trail (3 miles), Cottonwood Trail (2.79 miles), and Little Keyhole Trail (1 mile).

Camping is available year-round at Keyhole State Park with over 300 campsites for both RVs and tents spanning across 10 campgrounds. Reservations are required for most campsites during the recreation season of May 1st through September 31st.

Terrain and Habitat

Forest , Scattered trees and bushes , Grassland , Lake

Conditions

Hilly , Open landscape

Circular trail

No

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring

Route

Paved road , Wide path

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot , Bicycle , Car , Boat

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Extra info

Bird banding events take place in Keyhole State Park each year during the summer in conjunction with Audubon Rockies at which birds can be observed up close. Banding starts the last week of May and ends in early August. See the link below for more info.

Links

View other birding spots in the area that are published on Birdingplaces

Map

Top 5 birds

Other birds you can see here

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