Things to do / Travel Guide
There are a good amount of sailing and boating opportunities on the lakes and reservoirs in the eastern Colorado and Wyoming Rockies. Most of these lakes sport marinas, with other activities possible as well, like picnicking and hiking. Thus, you can make a great day trip out of visiting one of the region's lakes, and enjoy a hike and/or picnic, while making boating or sailing the focus of your day. Wherever you go you'll see the tall mountain peaks above you, and below - rippling in the water.
Pleasure Boating around Denver, Colorado
You can find plenty of lakes in the immediate vicinity of Denver. At Barr Lake, northeast of Denver on I-76, you'll be able to spot from your boat over 300 species of birds that call the park home. Chatfield Lake in Chatfield State Park is good for boating, and great views of the foothills await the visitor. Chatfield is located just off I-470, the beltway, in the city's southwest corner. There's also Cherry Creek Lake, with its 880 acres. It's located within Denver, but surrounded by prairie-land and rolling hills. Boat rental is only provided at Chatfield itself.
Also within Denver, smack in the downtown area, there's City Park, built in the same tradition as Manhattan's Central Park. It boasts two lakes, Duck Lake and Ferril Lake, where you can rent standard paddleboats or nonstandard pelican-shaped or duck-shaped boats. The lakes are surrounded by foliage and several species of birds, giving visitors a unique urban pleasure boating experience.
Pleasure Boating North of Denver, Colorado
Loveland, Colorado a relatively residential city, is situated near a number of terrific lakes. These include Boedecker Lake, Lake Loveland, and Horseshoe Lake. The city's biggest draw, however, is Boyd Lake, to the northeast of the city. It boasts the most state-of-the-art water sports facility in the region, with opportunities to go windsurfing and waterskiing, and there are all kinds of boats to rent. There's even a beach. You can go sailing or just canoe out to the center of the lake for a relaxing afternoon. Around Fort Collins there are a number of lakes to boat in, including Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake. At the former you can rent a pontoon, and at both you can rent fishing boats.
Between Cheyenne and Laramie, there's Curt Gowdy State Park, and you can go out on a pleasure boating excursion on either of the two reservoirs found therein. You'll have to bring your own boat though, as rentals aren't available. A good rule of thumb is that the Wyoming Rockies are less verdant than the Colorado Rockies - more moon-like.
Pleasure Boating South of Denver, Colorado
Spinney Mountain State Park is located 55 miles west of Colorado Springs on U.S. Highway 24. The park's reservoir is high-altitude, at nearly 9,000 feet. The water can get choppy due to the mountain winds, thus making boating more difficult. Otherwise, the scenery of the mountain and prairie lands is breathtaking. Note that the park isn't open in the wintertime. Again, you'll have to bring your own boat, as rental's aren't available.
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