Colorado Open Water Swimming

molly1205molly1205 Lincoln, NebraskaSenior Member
edited May 2014 in Locations & Networking
Looking for a good lake for a long, cool swim the weekend of June 14-15, about 15 miles. Connections to a kayaker a big plus. Other swimmers an even bigger plus. Thanks!

Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska

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Comments

  • lakespraylakespray Senior Member
    Molly please ask to become a member of are Facebook group Colorado Represents Open Water Swimming "CROWS" and post the same the question and we will see how we can help. FYI @ssthomas @cliff
  • molly1205molly1205 Lincoln, NebraskaSenior Member
    Thank you! I'll do that.

    Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited May 2014
    Let's say a person is not a member of Facebook.

    What are some of our Colorado friends' favorite open water swimming venues? Locations, other useful details, etc. For example, I believe many of the Denver-area lakes/reservoirs are off-limits in the off-season, right?

    This makes the thread more useful for future searchers.
    mina
  • CliffCliff Member
    edited May 2014
    MSF Members,

    Open Water season officially begins in early May in the Denver Metro area. Surface water temps range between 45-55F, but quickly warm up into the 60s through June.

    I'm going to unintentionally leave out a bunch of lakes but here goes. Our favorite swimming holes in the Denver area include Chatfield Gravel Pond, Boulder Reservoir and Grant Ranch. Information and links for each can be found here... http://www.comsa.org/openwater.html

    There are a few lakes open to swimming in the Fort Collins area as well but, other than the Horsetooth 10K... http://www.horsetoothswim.com/, I'm no expert on that area so I'll defer to our northern area swimmers on that topic.

    We have numerous high country lakes that are reasonably close to the Denver area. Beginning in early July, as Denver area lakes heat up into the 70s and become over-crowded with zigzagging neoprene-draped triathletes, we venture out to enjoy the cool, clear waters, gorgeous scenery and excellent trout fishing opportunities of our mountain lakes and streams. The Top 3 lakes on our list for summer swimming are:

    Wellington Lake... http://www.castlemountainrec.com/
    Green Mountain Res... http://www.greenmountainreservoir.com/
    Turquoise Lake... http://www.recreation.gov/recAreaDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&recAreaId=92

    Please let us know when you plan to come here and we'll do our best to find you a swim buddy or pace swimmer as we know all the best swims and would welcome an opportunity to assist you with your training! Keep in mind that many of our lakes are owned and operated by public entities and therefore have rules about swimming.

    Also, I'd like to invite anyone interested in Colorado open water swimming to join our "Colorado Represents Open Water Swimming" group on Facebook. At some point soon, we'll most likely port the Group page over to an open page you can simply "Like".

    We're currently working on a CROWS website as well. We'll send the link out to MSF members when it's ready.

    If anyone here would like to have a conversation about a particular lake or swim that you have in mind, I can be reached at (303) 904-7338.

    Cliff Crozier
    mina
  • CliffCliff Member
    edited May 2014
    Gang,

    I just tagged several Colorado swimming locations. You can link to it from the MSF homepage by clicking on "Map of Swimmers and Pods" or... https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zFxsLWHqDW84.kXeAdbzovaUA
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber
    The only thing I'd add to Cliff's list above is Taylor Res and Blue Mesa. They're a bit further away from Denver, but Blue Mesa is the largest body of water in Colorado, so I think it's worth a mention. It's usually pretty chilly into June and July, and worth the trek if you have a few days. Taylor is a bit smaller, but there aren't a lot of motor boats out there (just fishermen), and you can swim for hours without being bothered, and not really worried about getting run over. Both Blue Mesa and Taylor are near Gunnison, if you're trying to find them on a map. I usually camp and swim. (And for what it's worth, there is excellent fly fishing around Taylor- some of the best in the state.)

    Most of the Denver area lakes have restrictions on days/times that swimming is allowed. Once you get out of town, we're a little more free, so long as there aren't "No Swimming" signs posted.

    There are quite a few of us on the forum who would LOVE to show some out of towners around. Just let us know when you're coming and I'm sure we can find someone. We're pretty friendly.

  • molly1205molly1205 Lincoln, NebraskaSenior Member
    Thank you all very much for the helpful advice. This is a great thread for Colorado swimming!

    Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska

  • Mayanblue75Mayanblue75 Fremont NebraskaMember
    I'm with Cliff. Love the gravel ponds. It's cold like Branched Oaks. Also love Horsetooth.
  • CliffCliff Member
    edited May 2014
    Just tagged two more Colorado lakes on the map - Green Mountain and Taylor Park Reservoirs.
  • CliffCliff Member
    If you're on Facebook, come "Like" our new open group Page at... https://www.facebook.com/crowswim?ref_type=bookmark

    Happy Swimming!
  • sosophiaphiasosophiaphia Colorado USAMember
    edited April 2018

    I'm resurrecting this old thread instead of starting a new one, hope that's okay! I'm new to both Colorado and open water swimming and trying to navigate the options around the Denver Metro for this season. From what I've read online it seems like a lot of the organization is changing hands this year, so I'm trying to figure out what my best options would be. What I've found so far includes...

    Highlands Ranch: https://www.swimlabs.com/highlandsranch/programs/open-water-swimming

    Chatfield: http://teamwcoaching.com/openwaterswim/

    Boulder/BAM: https://www.bamswimteam.org/page.cfm?pagetitle=BAM+Events

    Can anyone provide guidance on what to expect at these places, what the vibe typically is, water quality at the sites, etc.? Or perhaps have other suggestions on spots that may be welcoming to a newbie like me? (I'm an experienced, slow-ish, pool-trained distance freestyler.)

    Thanks in advance!

    lakespray
  • lakespraylakespray Senior Member

    Of the three, the south gravel pond at Chatfield State Park is spring fed and has best over all water quality. It's been used for almost 30 years as an over water swimming venue, it has the highest concentration of open water purist (non wet-suit wearers) however plenty of triathletes train here as well. Highlands Ranch is really "Grant Ranch" the water quality is decent until about July 4th than it gets warm & weedy. Very triathlete centric, wet-suits even with the water temp approaching the high 70's. However a nice marked course, great if you want to time yourself etc. Neither Chatfield or Grant Ranch allow power boats. Boulder is in the Boulder reservoir, water tends get a little yucky as the season progresses. They do allow power boats. Triathlete oriented, competitive, many folks comparing the advantages of various $800 plus wet-suit brands. One other consideration is the Aurora Reservoir. They have a small quarter mile course for openwater swim training. Water quality is about as good as it gets on the Colorado front range (it is Aurora's drinking water) you can swim anytime dawn to dusk however the area is limited and does get weedy as the season progresses. https://www.auroragov.org/things_to_do/reservoirs/aurora_reservoir/swimming/

    FlowSwimmerssosophiaphiaKarl_Kingery
  • sosophiaphiasosophiaphia Colorado USAMember

    Lakespray, thank you so much for your thorough, thoughtful reply! I wish we had a "love" button.

    I feel a little better prepared going into this. It's been a challenge to plan an open water schedule from the couch on a snow day, so your message was quite helpful. I will probably start off at Chatfield. I hadn't even thought about Aurora options -- I work out that direction, so that may be just perfect as an after-shift supplement to my regular schedule.

    (I'm not an $800 ANYthing kinda girl, and can't for the life of me figure out why someone would want to ruin a good swim by following it with riding and running.)

    FlowSwimmerslakespray
  • msmishmsmish CaliforniaNew Member

    While searching for OWS lakes in CO, I came upon these great posts. Thanks to everyone for their helpful ideas.

    Does anyone have an estimate of Wellington Lake's water temp at the end of May/beginning of June? Given the elevation, I'm guessing that it's in the 50's, or maybe the high 40's. Any guidance will help me determine how thick a wetsuit to pack.

    Thanks in advance!

    inezwibowo
  • sarahcassidysarahcassidy Las Vegas, NVMember

    I'm in Denver for the next 5 weeks and found this excellent thread! Thank you for the suggestions of where to swim. Now I just need to find people to swim with for safety reasons, unless anyone thinks I would be fine swimming alone.

    I will join the BAM open water swim workouts on Tuesday and Thursday mornings starting tomorrow. I'm also looking for nearly lap pools. I want to swim at the Chatfield Gravel Pond and found this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chatfieldgps. According to it, they swim every Saturday morning at 7:30-10:00 am this summer, so I'll try to go this coming Saturday.

    I also discovered that Big Soda Lake at Bear Creek Park has a lap swimming lane: https://www.lakewood.org/Government/Departments/Community-Resources/Parks-Forestry-and-Open-Space/A-to-Z-Park-List/Bear-Creek-Lake-Park/Activities-Inside-BCLP#section-1.

    IronMikeinezwibowo
  • inezwibowoinezwibowo BaileyNew Member

    Hello there, new in Colorado and I've swam at Horsetooth, Big Bear Creek Soda Lakes and looking to do Chatfield and Carter lake and Grand Lake soon. Are there advice anyone can give me about how to get a good long swim mileage in in lakes? Seems like most lakes limit swimming to limited kiddie pool or just a few buoys. At Horsetooth I ended up swimming at the north end where paddle boarders are after getting permission from the park ranger to swim inside the buoys, and stay 10 ft from the shore. At Carter Lake it looks like there are just a little bit of buoys along the south east side. For example can we do a Crater lake crossing route, like the mountain swim series route, in the morning if we stay close to the shore? At Bear soda lake there were several buoys but limited swimming just back and forth . Not sure about Chatfield or Grand Lake. Is there any lake west of Denver where swimming anywhere in the lake is not limited by buoys? Thank you!

  • batchesbatches Littleton, COMember

    @inezwibowo said:
    Hello there, new in Colorado and I've swam at Horsetooth, Big Bear Creek Soda Lakes and looking to do Chatfield and Carter lake and Grand Lake soon. Are there advice anyone can give me about how to get a good long swim mileage in in lakes? Seems like most lakes limit swimming to limited kiddie pool or just a few buoys. At Horsetooth I ended up swimming at the north end where paddle boarders are after getting permission from the park ranger to swim inside the buoys, and stay 10 ft from the shore. At Carter Lake it looks like there are just a little bit of buoys along the south east side. For example can we do a Crater lake crossing route, like the mountain swim series route, in the morning if we stay close to the shore? At Bear soda lake there were several buoys but limited swimming just back and forth . Not sure about Chatfield or Grand Lake. Is there any lake west of Denver where swimming anywhere in the lake is not limited by buoys? Thank you!

    Apart from races, my only experience with open water swimming has been at the Chatfield gravel ponds, Wellington Lake, and Jefferson Lake. All of these don't have any motorboat traffic, and there's no restriction on where to swim. This year the Colorado State Parks opened up to allow swimming at the Chatfield gravel ponds anytime during normal park hours, without permit, which has been a huge plus. Wellington Lake, near Bailey, used to be where I'd go to get my longer training swims in, though they have restrictions on number of day passes so you should be sure to get one via their online system to avoid driving all the way there to find they're full. Jefferson lake is further up the mountains along US 285, about halfway between Bailey and Fairplay. That's where I'd go to get a cold water fix, as it's so high elevation the water rarely gets above 60F.

    inezwibowoJSwim
  • inezwibowoinezwibowo BaileyNew Member

    @batches Thanks so much! This info is like gold! Just called Jefferson Lake and they said I can come in as early as 6 or 7 am and pay the $8 to swim. It's "only" 52 min from where I live in Bailey so I'm happy I can go there vs. the 2 hr to Horsetooth.

    I went to Wellington, took 45 min in my Honda Fit to find out they were out of passes. I'll try reserving next time. But yet to check out the gravel pond, that sounds a good option when in downtown. Again, thank you for the open water tips. As a Bay Area open water swimmer transplant, I'll travel far to get my cold water fix!!

    If there are any other open water lakes where one can get good mileage, even if it is 2 hr+ from Bailey, I'd love to hear about it. Thank you!

  • sarahcassidysarahcassidy Las Vegas, NVMember
    edited August 2022

    After spending most of the summer in Denver, here's what I did for my OWS workouts:

    On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I swam at the Boulder Aquatic Masters (BAM) OWS workouts at Boulder Reservoir. It was a bit of a drive from where I was staying in Golden, and I had to buy a BAM punch pass along with a monthly Boulder Reservoir pass. However, it was worth the cost because I focused on speed during these BAM workouts trying to do as many loops around the buoy course as quickly as possible in the allotted 1.5 hours. I met wonderful people in BAM. I highly recommend joining the summer BAM OWS workouts: https://www.bamswimteam.org/page.cfm?pagetitle=BAM+Events

    On the other days of the week, I swam at Chatfield Gravel Pond at Chatfield State Park. I'd show up between 5 AM and 6 AM, and there were almost always other swimmers or at least paddleboarders, kayakers, and/or fishing canoes there. No motorized watercraft is allowed at CGP. I felt so safe there that I ditched my tow float. Because my husband is a 100% disabled military veteran, we have disabled veteran license plates, and apparently that gets me free entry to CO state parks, so I didn't have to pay anything or even need a pass to swim at CGP. That was nice.

    I found that during July, CGP tended to become very busy with paddleboard traffic starting at around 9 am.

    There were organized swims at CGP on Saturday mornings, but that seems to have tapered off now that CGP is open for OWS anytime without requiring permits. According to the recent emails I've gotten, they're still swimming on Saturday mornings, albeit informally.

    I drove up to Wellington Lake but hadn't researched it, thinking it was a state park. Nope. It's privately owned and the entry fees are pretty expensive, but I paid it anyway and swam there. Gorgeous. I didn't even know about the online reservations! Good thing they weren't sold out when I went, huh?

    I did the Carter Lake Crossing ~3-mile race in July. Beautiful lake, but pretty far from Golden for me.

    I'm coming back to Denver later this week to swim the Castle Mountain 10K on Saturday August 27, then Horsetooth 10K on Sunday September 11. I plan to be at the BAM workout this coming Thursday August 25. I can't wait to swim at CGP again. I've missed CGP.

    I have not tried Bear Creek/Big Soda Lake, Jefferson Lake, Grand Lake, Cherry Creek Reservoir, or any of the other places mentioned here, but I'd like to if anyone is up for it while I'm in Denver.

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