Life on the Lake

Cool off this summer at one of the Front Range's great swimming holes

Image Credit: Colorado Public Radio

Prospect Lake

This 58-acre lake is part of 194-acre Memorial Park in Colorado Springs. In a convenient location, it is just east of downtown with beautiful Pikes Peak in the

background. The Family Center YMCA is built next door with many options for recreation. The city-center park is a great spot for families to gather and enjoy the outdoors. This lake is currently closed due to blue-green algae.

For more information, see coloradosprings.gov under Community Parks then Memorial Park.

Aurora Reservoir

The reservoir, with 800 acres of surface area, is located in the southeastern corner of Aurora. It provides drinking water to the city and also serves as a versatile recreation area. A unique SCUBA beach is reserved for diving on the northeastern edge and is a place for open-water certifications. A small airplane was deliberately sunk to become a diving attraction. Find more information at www.auroragov.org/things_to_do/reservoirs.

Image Credit: Visit Aurora

Cherry Creek Reservoir

Just southeast of downtown Denver is the Cherry Creek State Park. The 880-acre surface area of water is a beautiful setting for recreation. The park is set in a natural prairie with rolling hills and affords many ways to enjoy it. Camping, water sports, trails and outdoor facilities are popular in this convenient spot. See cpw.state.co.us for more information.

Image Credit: City of Lakewood

Bear Creek Reservoir

In Lakewood, Bear Creek Lake Park sits on 2,624 acres of space provided for outdoor leisure. The park includes three lakes: Bear Creek Lake (110 acres of surface area) is open to motorized boating. Big Soda Lake is similar in size and limited to non-motorized boats. Little Soda Lake is only open to Water Ski School’s private boats. The park sits against the mountains and close to the Red Rocks amphitheater. Find out details at lakewood.org.

Chatfield Reservoir

Image Credit: Smith Group

Chatfield State Park straddles Douglas County and Jefferson County and is settled near the base of the Front Range mountains. In the park, Chatfield Reservoir offers 1,423 acres of surface water. This beautiful, man-made lake offers a huge variety of outdoor recreation! Among the less unique activities provided at Chatfield are hot air ballooning and model air plane flying in a specialized field. See cpw.state.co.us for more information.

Image Credit: All Trails

Bingham Lake

This beautiful neighborhood lake is a convenient spot to fish or enjoy the view around the lake trail. Bingham Lake is a 30-acre lake in the Pinery subdivision in Parker. Bingham Lake is privately owned by the Pinery Water & Wastewater District. This allows for fishing on the lake without the need for a fishing license. There is also a playground in the neighboring greenspace. See www. pinery.org/bingham-lake for more information.