| Brush Lake State Park | |
|---|---|
  Location in Montana | |
| Location | Sheridan County, Montana,United States |
| Nearest town | Dagmar, Montana |
| Coordinates | 48°36′10″N104°6′46″W / 48.60278°N 104.11278°W /48.60278; -104.11278[1] |
| Area | 450 acres (180 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,959 ft (597 m)[1] |
| Designation | Montana state park |
| Established | 2004[2] |
| Visitors | 35,510 (in 2023)[3] |
| Administrator | Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks |
| Website | Brush Lake State Park |
Brush Lake State Park is a public recreation area located four miles east of the community ofDagmar,Montana.[4] The park surrounds three sides of the highly alkaline, 280-acre (110 ha), sixty-foot-deep Brush Lake.[5]
Brush Lake became a popular gathering place in the early years of the twentieth century, when residents of the surrounding communities were drawn to its clear, deep, spring-fed waters.[5] Hans Christian Hansen built a summer resort on the lake after filing homesteading papers in 1914. A bar and cafe were added to the site by 1920, with a dance hall added in the 1940s.[6] In 2004, the state purchased 450 acres surrounding the northern half of the lake to create a state park, while the lake's southern portion remained in private hands.[7]
The park offers hiking, swimming, picnicking and camping facilities as well as opportunities for boating and canoeing.[4] The lake's high mineral content makes it inhospitable to fish life.[5]