Summertime in Colorado means it’s time to head for the water. The good news is you don’t have to go far from the city to put in your kayak, canoe or paddleboard.
Here’s a list of 29 lakes and rivers in or near Denver and Boulder that permit boating. Depending on the location, you might be sharing the water motorized boats. If it’s noted that paddleboards are prohibited, so is swimming. But if you’re into fishing, bring your pole as most of these bodies of water allow catch and release.
Denver
There are currently open for hand-launched boats, as is Confluence Park on the South Platte River, which is popular for kayaking, paddleboarding and tubing. Unlike previous years, motorized and sail boats are prohibited on Sloan’s Lake for all of 2021. No permits for boating are required for those within city limits.
Where you can kayak and stand-up paddleboard in Denver
- Berkeley Lake
- Ferril Lake in City Park
- Rocky Mountain Lake
- Sloan’s Lake
- Smith Lake
Where you can kayak and stand-up paddleboard in Golden, Arvada, Westminster and beyond
- (Arvada; no paddleboarding)
- (Aurora)
- (Lakewood)
- (Lakewood)
- (Littleton)
- (Aurora)
- (Golden)
- (Westminster; no paddleboarding)
- (Arvada)
- (Westminster; no paddleboarding)
- (Wheat Ridge)
- (Aurora)
- (Castle Rock; reservation required)
- (Westminster)
- (Wheat Ridge)
Boulder
The most popular paddle spot in Boulder is its namesake reservoir, which requires boaters have an annual permit to bring their own vessel. The city is sold out of permits for 2021, but you can get around that hurdle by renting equipment from . Or maybe try a less-paddled body of water.
Where you can kayak and stand-up paddleboard in Boulder
Where you can kayak and stand-up paddleboard in Loveland, Longmont and Lafayette
- (Loveland)
- (Longmont)
- (Longmont)
- (Longmont)
- (Lafayette)
