Clear Lake

Clear Lake is a compact, mountain lake above Georgetown that offers a scenic, high-country paddleboard experience a short distance from Denver.  With substantially less visibility and wind exposure than better-known Georgetown lake, it features calm waters and steep, forested shorelines.  

Clear Lake

Clear Lake is close enough to Denver to visit in a half-day from the metro area.  It also makes for a refreshing late day add-on after a hike of Mt. Bierstadt, Square Top Mtn, or other Guanella Pass area trails.  Interstate 70 traffic can be heavy on summer weekends, so check travel speeds before heading up.  Sometimes a good window can be found on Saturday afternoons when earlier recreators have already left and return traffic to Denver is lighter than on Sundays.  Late afternoon and early evening also tend to be calmer than mid-day.  

Vicinity Map

    Location Info: [key]

    Scenery: 4
    Shoreline Interest: 2
    Non-motorized
    Use: Moderate
    Fee: None
    Access: Gravel
    Full elev = 9860; 

    Best near full
    Weather

Gross Reservoir

UPDATE:  Starting in 2022, reservoir expansion is underway.  Click here for updated post on Gross Reservoir recreation during construction.

Gross Reservoir is a great metro-area paddling destination in the foothills above Boulder.  The lake is non-motorized and is popular with kayaks and duckies as well as stand-up paddleboards.  It is also quite deep (max ~300 feet) and graced by steep, forested slopes around much of its shoreline.

Gross Reservoir

South Boulder Creek Arm

Gross Reservoir is an appealing destination because it's reasonably close to Front Rnage population centers, and has winding inlets and coves that offer protection from winds. It can be accessed via Highway 72 from Golden/Denver or via Flagstaff Road from Boulder.  Gross Dam Road, which is connects the two accesses, is gravel but can be mildly washboardy in places.  Osprey point, the southernmost access point, is probably the most desirable because it offers the best access to the South Boulder Creek arm of  the lake.  On summer weekends, Osprey Point may fill up early.  The South Shore access point is near the dam and has fewer shoreline features and more open water exposure to wind.   

Vicinity Map

    Location info [key]:

    

    Scenery: 4
    Shoreline Interest: 4
    Non-motorized
    Use: High
    Fee: None
    Access: Gravel
    Full elev = 7282; Best near full, 

    significant drawdown possible

    Water level info
    Rec. info

    Weather 

    Rec. map