9 Best Lakeside Towns in Colorado
Colorado may be landlocked, but that doesn't mean its residents and visitors can't enjoy time on or near the water, especially in its lakeside towns. The state is full of lakes and reservoirs, over 4,000 in total, and many offer fantastic recreational opportunities. Due to the draw that open water offers, lovely lakeside towns have popped up along the state's lakeshores; communities like Dillon, on the man-made Dillon Reservoir, and Grand Lake, on Colorado's largest natural body of water.
Read on to learn more about the best lakeside towns in Colorado. There is a good chance you will want to visit some or all of them right away so you, too, can enjoy time on the water in Colorado.
Grand Lake
Grand Lake is perhaps the most beautiful and interesting lakeside town in Colorado. It has a year-round population of just 410 people, but it seems much bigger due to the hotels, restaurants, bars, breweries, rental properties, and activities that visitors will find there. It is on the shores of its namesake lake, Grand Lake, Colorado's largest natural body of water, and is adjacent to Shadow Mountain Lake, one of the state's largest reservoirs. It is also very close to the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, just a few miles away.
This small town is popular with tourists who come to boat and fish on the lake and hike the trails that surround it. In the summer, the town's sandy beach offers people a place to swim. The area is abundant with wildlife, and the surrounding mountain views are truly spectacular.
Dillon
Another lovely lakeside town in Colorado is Dillon, with a year-round population of around 1,000. Dillon is just an hour west of Denver, immediately off I-70, and adjacent to the towns of Frisco and Silverthorne. Breckenridge is also only a few miles away.
Dillon sits on the shores of Dillon Reservoir, which is also known as Lake Dillon. The reservoir is quite large, covering 3,233 acres, and is a wonderful place for boating and fishing. People flock to this area in the wintertime for skiing, but love hiking, camping, and boating around Dillon Reservoir during the warmer months of the year. There are many campgrounds around the lake, such as Heaton Bay Campground.
Littleton
Littleton is a suburb of Denver, so one might not think of it as a lakeside town, but thanks to Chatfield State Park and its impressive reservoir, it is one indeed. Due to this state park's location on the edge of a densely populated area, it is one of the most-visited state parks in the state, attracting over 2 million visitors per year. The park was established in 1975. Chatfield Reservoir was created for water storage for Denver, but it is also a great place for boating, fishing, and bird and wildlife watching. On a summer day, boats of all kinds can be seen out on the lake, and many boats belonging to Denver residents are docked at the marina.
Littleton has a lot to offer its residents and visitors. This suburb is full of parks that are great for walking and hiking. Another state park, Roxborough State Park, is only minutes away. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater is also nearby, and Denver is a short drive to the north.
Fort Collins
The city of Fort Collins is the northernmost large city in Colorado's Front Range, with a population of around 170,000. Many people live in Fort Collins because it is close to the mountains and to other cities like Boulder and Denver. It's also home to Colorado State University and is a lively college town.
Also near Fort Collins is the beautiful and massive Horsetooth Reservoir, which makes Fort Collins a spectacular lakeside town. This reservoir is only about a mile wide, but it's 6.5 miles long from top to bottom. It covers 1,900 acres and was completed in 1949. This reservoir offers many recreational opportunities. There are two campgrounds on its shores and hiking trails that surround it. People love boating, fishing, waterskiing, and paddleboarding on the lake itself.
Evergreen
Everyone loves visiting Evergreen, which is only about half an hour southwest of Denver. This somewhat rural, forested suburb in the mountains spans a large area, but the small, pleasant downtown is on the shores of Evergreen Lake, a small reservoir that supplies the area with water. This small town was first settled in 1859 and today has a population of about 9,300.
A trail around the lake takes about 45 minutes. In winter, when the lake is frozen, an area is set aside for ice skating, and many locals go ice fishing. After circumnavigating the lake, visitors can enjoy food and shopping across the road and will marvel at the old-fashioned boardwalk-style sidewalks in Evergreen.
Georgetown
Georgetown Lake is a 55-acre reservoir adjacent to the historic town of Georgetown, just off I-70 and an hour from Denver. This reservoir is quite cold, so although swimming isn't explicitly prohibited, it's not advised; the warmest it gets is 50 degrees at the peak of the summer. However, residents and visitors enjoy trout fishing on the lake, non-motorized boating, and walking along the 2-mile Bennhoff Lake Trail that circumnavigates the lake. In winter, when the lake is frozen, there are sometimes AWD and 4WD racing events on it as well.
The town of Georgetown is well worth exploring. Historic downtown is full of buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s, many of which are residences, but others offer interesting shops and restaurants. Visitors will enjoy strolling along Sixth Street, the main strip of this old silver-mining town, and riding the Georgetown Loop Railroad to learn more about the history of this part of the state.
Nederland
The mountain town of Nederland is one of Colorado's most bohemian small towns, full of unique charm. For many years, it was best known for being the host of the annual Frozen Dead Guy Days festival, although the festival moved to Estes Park in recent years. Still, visitors to "Ned" will find friendly folks, interesting shops, and a fun vibe in this very special small town west of Boulder.
Nederland is on the western shore of the Barker Meadow Reservoir. It has a surface area of 420 acres and was created in 1910 to store water for the town and for hydroelectric power. Today, it offers opportunities for fishing, but boating and swimming are not allowed. A trail circles the lake, offering impressive views of the surrounding mountains.
Estes Park
Estes Park is a small town of about 5,900 permanent residents. It is about an hour northwest of Denver and is well known as the main gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Some people enter Rocky Mountain National Park from the west near Grand Lake, but most visitors enter from the Estes Park side. As a result, this small town grew up around the needs of park visitors and is full of restaurants, shops, and accommodation options.
Lake Estes is a reservoir on the eastern side of town that has a surface area of 185 acres. It was built between 1947 and 1949 to regulate water from the Estes Power Plant and to store water for municipal use. Lake Estes is a popular spot in Estes Park. Residents and visitors enjoy walking or biking along the paved, 3.75-mile scenic loop trail that circles the lake. Lake Estes Marina rents pontoon boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards for lake recreation, and both boat and shore fishing are common. In the summer, there's a sandy wading beach at the marina as well. Many people also enjoy wildlife and bird watching, as well as picnicking, near this lake.
Edgewater
Edgewater is a small suburb of Denver located immediately to the west of the city. Its total area is just 0.695 square miles, and its population is just over 5,000. It's bordered by Denver, Lakewood, and Wheat Ridge, and if you don't know it's there, you might miss it if you blink. However, this little town has a lot of heart. It was named for its location on the western "edge" of Sloan's Lake, one of the largest lakes in the Denver metropolitan area.
Sloan's Lake was accidentally created by Thomas M. Sloan in the 1860s. Sloan intended to dig a well for his new homestead, but in doing so, he accidentally tapped into an underground aquifer. A lake soon formed from the water flow from below. Today, Sloan's Lake is a popular place for biking, walking, picnicking, birdwatching, and photography.
Colorado has so much to offer its residents and visitors. While most people tend to focus on the Rocky Mountains when thinking of Colorado, there are lots of other wonderful things to see in the state as well. Colorado's lakes and reservoirs exist primarily for natural wildlife habitat and municipal water storage in a state that is often dry, but they also offer beauty and fantastic recreational opportunities, and the towns on their shores are extremely charming. Make a point to plan trips to all nine of these lovely towns in Colorado. Once you visit them, you will be glad that you did.
