UPDATE: The suspicious item has been removed by our partners at the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation for safe disposal off-site. The park and its facilities are now back open.

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Law enforcement officers and park rangers have closed Cliffside Park in Rapid City after receiving a report of a suspicious item located near a garbage can within the property.

Upon further inspection by responding officers, the item was found to have the appearance of a potential improvised explosive.

Additional state resources with expertise in explosive materials are currently in the process of responding to the scene to assist local authorities.

The Rapid City park remains closed to the public while law enforcement works to resolve the situation safely. Parking for members of the media is currently limited to the shoulder of the highway.