Colorado has a wide range of beautiful lakes and reservoirs that you can take a trip to and enjoy the surroundings. Here are some ideas of the next Colorado lakes and reservoirs that you need to visit!
Bear Lake
Colorado offers more than 300 lakes and reservoirs that attract year-round visitors to enjoy a variety of activities. Bear Lake is one of the most remarkable places to visit. Here you can have a great trek around the lake or venture out on many other trails ranging from easy to strenuous hikes. The Bear Lake Campground is also fantastic for campers. It is located in the beautiful San Isabel National Forest at an altitude of 10,480.
Campers have a choice of 14 campsites, and each offers a table and fire ring. The numerous activities available at the site include fishing, swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, rafting, kayaking, and ATV trails. There are ski resorts in the area, providing you with ice fishing, snowmobiling, and skiing to your heart’s content in the winter months. Bear Lake is a just a beautiful two-hour drive from Denver.
John Martin Reservoir
A large body of water can be found in southeastern Colorado located at John Martin Reservoir positioned on the plains. Visitors can head for Hasty, Colorado, down County Road 24. The area is a bird watchers paradise with nearly 400 species documented. These range from the grand bald eagle, which roosts there in the winter, to the piping plover, making the park their home for several months each year. Improbable as it is, after a phenomenal day of bird gazing, the evening stars will entertain you with a dramatic display of heavenly light.
Youngsters will be fascinated the next day, if the water is low in the reservoir, as it allows tracks made by various dinosaurs, crocodiles, and a few pterosaurs visible along the shore to be seen. Think back to prehistoric times – that is when the tracks were first created. This park offers a wide range of fun activities for all, with one of these being fishing. One excellent addition is that they also provide fishing for the disabled. Other ventures include hiking, camping, boating, and wildlife viewing. You will find the campgrounds are well equipped. Aside from boat ramps, there are public restrooms, RV hookups as well as dump stations. There are also showers and laundry facilities. Public telephones, fuel, and convenience stores can all be found nearby.
Twin Lakes
You will find Twin Lakes tucked away off Highway 24, located between Leadville and Buena Vista. The name comes from the set of lakes you will find here. The two lakes are described as a pair of pristine alpine lakes. Glaciers carved them during the last ice age. Together they provide an area of 2,700 acres spread over four square miles. Mountain biking has become increasingly popular in recent years. Boating, hiking, fishing, paddle boarding, sail boating, and kayaking are all popular in the summer months. Excellent camping can be found dotting the lakeshore. Ice Fishing is popular in the winter months offering rainbow, brown and native cutthroat trout.
Horsetooth Reservoir
Horsetooth Reservoir offers an ample number of activities to keep campers active for a time. Be sure to take your bike, boat, and fishing gear to add to your fun. Also, bring your hiking boots to visit several trails and your bathing suit to wear when you want to cool down from your hike. This accessible location offers six and one-half miles of water and is surrounded by 1,900 acres of public lands. It is located at 4200 W County Road 38 E. Fort Collins.
Dillon Reservoir
Dillon Reservoir is sometimes called Lake Dillon. This preserve is a large freshwater reservoir located south of I-70. It is bordered by the small towns of Frisco, Dillon, and Silverthorne. This vast body of water is owned and operated by Denver Water. It provides various activities, including boating, fishing, hiking, running, hiking, and cycling. Nordic skiing and ice fishing are available during the winter months. If you have the urge to move about in the reservoir, several shops rent fishing boats, sailboats, kayaks, and canoes. Dillon Lake is high, deep, and cold. It has an average depth of 79 feet and an elevation of 9,017 feet. The Denver Water system completed the reservoir in September 1963.
Lake Granby
Just five miles outside of Granby, located on the Colorado River, you will find the third-largest body of water in Colorado, Lake Granby. There are many exciting activities, including a world-class golf course. Many people appreciate visiting Lake Granby to enjoy the camping experience. It is also a popular place to hike, mountain bike, boat, raft, hunt, and go horseback riding. It is also home to the Lake Granby Yacht Club. People offer this description, “Lake Granby is a hidden gem, a treasure for all of us.” This Colorado lake provides a relaxing, quiet place to enjoy your vacation, offering so much, including the splendor of the Rocky Mountains.
Take a Trip to a Colorado Lake or Reservoir!
There are many wondrous Colorado lakes and reservoirs. There are so many for you to choose from, to visit, that your decision will probably be challenging to make. These water heaven places offer you the opportunity of catch a trophy trout, beautiful, clear water to swim in, or a spectacular day at the many beaches. The numerous activities the waterways provide also offer an extension of spellbinding scenery. There is no doubt the trip to your chosen destination will leave you a bit awe-struck with the desire to explore further.