How to avoid crowds

If it seems like stand-up paddleboarding has spiked in popularity, it's because it has. The phenomenon can clearly be seen on busy summer weekends at the urban corridor's prominent lakes.  Some afternoons can feel quite crowded--in parking areas, on beaches, and in popular coves.  In fact, some park areas, can fill up to capacity so that late-comers are turned away at the gate.  Fear not; there are still plenty of ways to seek out a quiet, relaxing paddleboard experience--it just requires a little more planning and creativity.  

Very busy day on the Chatfield Gravel Pond

Here are eight ways to switch up your SUP routine to find relief from peak-season crowds:

1. Venture further from launch

This is a great option at Chatfield, arguably Colorado's most popular SUP spot.  Gravel Pond 1 and areas near parking lots are always the most crowded.  But if you're able to get into the park and find a spot, you don't have to paddle far to find a dramatic drop in density.  This holds true in the expansive gladed areas of the lake's southern corners.  Barr Lake and the northwest shore of Horsetooth also have tree areas that provide some nice seclusion at high water.  

  

2. Time of day

Very few people are on the water at 7am.  And the water is often glass.  Even a 9am to 10am start is good enough to find some solitude in the most popular places.  Late afternoon and evenings also see crowds thin out.  And post-thunderstorm can be fantastic, with comfortable temps, filtered sunlight and colorful clouds.   

3. Weekdays

Nearly every incidence of crowding disappears on a weekday.  Worth taking a morning or afternoon off.  Enough said.  

Chatfield in November

4. Season

Nice days in the shoulder season are fantastic.  Hardly anyone is out!  Many Denver area lakes are open an ice-free in April.  Note that the water can still be very cold, even on a warm, sunny day.  Prepare accordingly and wear a PFD.  The fall is even better than spring, because colors are in full form and the water temperatures take longer to drop.  Some of the best SUP-ing on the urban corridor can be found in October or even November.  

5. Location: Further from City

Travelling away from the densely populated Front Range is another way to escape crowds, but it can be a mixed bag depending on how far you travel.  Places that are near popular mountain destinations, like Dillon or Crested Butte, can still have a lot of visitors mid-summer.  Things quiet down a lot once school is back in session.  Places that are beyond a four-hour radius from Denver are more reliably uncrowded.

6. Location: More obscure

Locations that are under the radar of the masses can be a good escape.  For several years, Chase Gulch Reservoir in Central City was a place that saw fairly light visitation.  It has become more discovered, but is still unknown to many.  Clear Lake is another place that has fewer visitors than one would expect given its stunning location.  Peruse our SUP map, and if there's a place that is unfamiliar to you, it's probably not widely known by others either.

Fail-safe way
to avoid SUP crowds

Another great
crowd-evasion tool

7. Location: Harder Access

An access deterrent can be used as an advantage.  Some 4WD roads are gatekeepers of stunning SUP spots.  The Fall River/Alice area lakes are great examples of this, as is the eastern approach to Rollins Pass.  

8. Location: Higher Effort

Finally, it doesn't take an absurd amount of effort to surpass the threshold of what most others are willing to expend for some SUP solitude.  Some lakes require a carry distance to reach the shore, and that deters a lot of people.  An example of this is the short hikes to Orchard or Eltuck Coves at Horsetooth, which are less busy than the immensely popular drive-up access of Satanka Cove.  The moderate SUP-hike to St. Mary's Lake and the more strenuous hike to Crater Lakes are higher up on the effort scale (and also the solitude scale).  In fact, you're pretty much guaranteed to share the water with few to zero people if you haul a SUP up to one of Colorado's mountain lakes.

Discouraged by the thought of competing for space with throngs of other people trying to engage in the same activity?  Try switching up one or more of the above components of your usual paddleboard outings.  Be creative, have fun and stay safe on the water!