John W. Flannagan Lake, US Army Corps of Engineers

02/17/2026

Good afternoon, everyone! We wanted to let everyone know that both Cranesnest Road and Pound River road (PR to second gate) are OPEN!

02/10/2026

***CRANESNEST ROAD UPDATE***

Rangers went to check the melt status of Cranesnest road, and unfortunately, much of it is still solid ice, so we cannot open the roadway at this time due to the safety risk of sliding into the river. We have staff checking each day and as soon as it is safe to re-open, we will and will post on our page that it’s open!!

02/09/2026

Boating in cold weather can be exhilarating, but it also puts you at risk of falling into dangerously cold waters. Always make sure to wear your life jacket; it could save your life!

02/09/2026

The recent sunny weather encouraged us to get out on the water and assess how much of the lake remains frozen. We were able to travel nearly to the marina junction before turning around due to ice conditions.

We retrieved a sample of the ice and measured it at approximately 4 inches thick. We imagine further up the lake is thicker! While we hope the warmer temperatures will melt it soon, significant ice coverage remains on the lake at this time.

Please do not attempt to get on the ice. Just because it is 4” here does not mean it is 4” everywhere.

02/02/2026

Good morning! It’s a cold, but sunny morning here!! We saw temps as low as -2°F!! What have you all seen where you’re at? Stay warm and stay safe! 😃

01/30/2026

Being Adventure Ready means carrying the right safety equipment—and knowing how to use it. Build your checklist today.

01/30/2026

Hypothermia happens fast. Plan ahead, check conditions, and stay safe this season.

01/28/2026

As many of you know, following the flood of July 2022, we received funding to complete several repairs caused by the flood to our recreation areas. To date, we have completed all repairs to our areas aside from resurfacing of campsites and roadways. This contract is set to begin in April. This work will begin at Pound River Campground and following completion, they will begin work at Cranesnest.

Unfortunately, due to the extent of work being done at Cranesnest, we will not be opening as scheduled.

All reservations will receive a refund during this time period. Once the work is complete, we will announce that the reservation window is open.

Because of this closure, we want to allow those who wish to camp at Cranesnest an extended opportunity by keeping the campground open past the normal Labor Day closure. We are sorry to share this unfortunate news, but hope everyone will understand.

We will have Pound River Campground and Lower Twin Campground open the regular season dates if you wish to make a reservation at one of those two sites during the time of this closure.

01/23/2026

Good morning, everyone! We wanted to share this important update with our followers on our recreation areas. Due to the impending storm this weekend, we feel it is best to act proactively and temporarily close our recreation sites.

This includes the following:

Below Dam Recreation Area
Lower Twin Campground (campground closed seasonally)
Cranesnest Campground Roadway (campground closed seasonally)
Pound River Campground Roadway (campground closed seasonally)
Branham Farm Access Roadway

Any sites within our fee boundary that are managed by other agencies/businesses, please check directly with them to check the status of the area, as the only areas affected by this decision are USACE operated and managed areas.

Please note that these closures are only temporary, and we will re-open areas as soon as we determine it is safe to do so.

You can check the status of our areas by the following link:

https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?Id=H108550

Thank you for your understanding and please stay safe this weekend!

Secure .mil websites use HTTPSA lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

12/15/2025

Happy Monday, everyone!

We wanted to make this post to remind our followers that reservations are now being accepted for our 2026 Recreation season! The attached flyer showcases our season dates as well as use fees for our facilities we manage.

Below is a facility specific link for anyone wishing to make a reservation online:

John W. Flannagan Dam & Reservoir Day Use: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234243

Cranesnest Campground: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251947

Lower Twin Campground: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251954

Pound River Campground: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251949

For any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the project office at +1 (276) 835-9544 and ask to speak with a ranger.

12/13/2025

Today Park Rangers Davis, Owens, and Powers attended the 2025 Dickenson County Shop with a Cop! This event is such a rewarding opportunity to serve our community in a unique way outside of our normal job duties and we look forward to attending each year! We want to extend a special “thank you” to the Dickenson County Sheriffs Office for inviting us to help; it’s always a pleasure working alongside your department.

09/19/2025

Some beautiful photography taken!