Lake Pueblo State Park

The Fryingpan-Arkansas Project—one of the major diversions of water from the Western Slope to the Arkansas River Basin—not only ensured the growth of many Front Range cities, but it also created Pueblo Reservoir, a rare body of water where the water remains warm even when snowmelt is high! This means that in the dead of winter, you’ll find anglers lining the Arkansas River below the dam’s outlet catching a healthy fish population.

Lake Pueblo has more than 4,600 surface acres of water and 60 miles of shoreline, and for anglers in southern Colorado, this is a favorite place to fish. A full-service marina makes sailing, motor-boating, waterskiing, and tubing easy!

The lake and the 10,000 acres surrounding it are blessed with sunny days and mild, year-round climate, making Lake Pueblo State Park an outdoor recreationist’s dream. Land recreation includes hiking, biking, picnicking, and diverse nature exploration. Miles of trails encourage visitors to discover the beauty of the shady Arkansas River below the dam, the wonder of 200-year-old Juniper trees, and the serenity of the Greenhorn and Wet Mountain Ranges and Pikes Peak.

Lake Pueblo has 400 campsites, accommodating tents, pick-up campers, motorhomes, and trailers. Swimming is only allowed in summer, Thursday through Monday. Even with all of its campsites, the park’s campgrounds fill on summer weekends, so make reservations. Day passes are $7 per car. Don’t try to cheat. Park rangers will check. We recommend boating and swimming in the summer and hiking, biking, camping, and fishing year-round.