Water * Earth * Air * Fire * Cosmos: The 2023 Solar Eclipse

This blog post is about a celestial event and the journey to catch it.  We have actually been quite spoiled in recent years with regard solar eclipses on our continent.  August 2017's total solar eclipse cast a coast-to-coast shadow across America.  Another total eclipse in 2024 will sweep from Texas to Maine.  For context, the most recent solar eclipse to cross the American mainland before 2017 happened in 1994.  The next one after 2024 won't occur for another 2 decades.  So they're much more rare than recent history would suggest. 

The 2023 solar eclipse on Lake Powell

Lake Canyon

Lake Canyon is one of the many side canyons along Powell's 150-mile length.  It is not the longest, deepest, twistiest, or most creatively-named.  The attribute that makes Lake Canyon the subject of this blog post is its combination of relative accessibility with a classic Glen Canyon setting.  The easiest and by far the most common way to reach Lake Canyon is by motorboat.  But for aspiring paddlers without the equipment, time or resources to organize a boat trip here, Lake Canyon can be reached by a moderate but adventurous hike.   

Lake Canyon's stunning south fork

Specifics on the route to Lake Canyon are detailed further down in the post.  But generally, it is 2 miles east of Halls Crossing on Utah State Highway 276.  Route 276 accesses both the Halls Crossing Marina on the southeast side of Lake Powell and Bullfrog Marina on the northwest side, but there is no fixed connection between the two.  Historically the Utah DOT operated a ferry across the lake, but lower water levels have left it largely out of service in recent years.  If approaching from the northwest (Hanksville) side, it is necessary to follow Utah Route 95 past the north junction with 276 and across the Hite bridge to reach the southern 276 junction.  From there it is 44 miles west to Glen Canyon NRA.  Gas stations in this part of Utah are few, far between, and not always in service.  It's a good idea to always have a full enough tank to make it back to Blanding or Green River.    

Vicinity Map [click to enlarge]

    

    Location Info: [key]

    Scenery: 5
    Shoreline Interest: 5
    Use: Moderate
    Fee: $30 or NPS pass
    Access: Paved + 1.5 mi. off-trail hike
    Full elev = 3700; 

       good at any water level 
    Rec. info 
    Weather 

Central City

Gilpin County--known best for its casinos and rich mining history--has a great paddleboard spot!  Chase Gulch Reservoir is part of the municipal water supply for Central City and it is open to public recreation.  Much to the delight of paddleboarders, the small but tranquil lake is open to non-motorized boating only.  

Chase Gulch Reservoir

Chase Gulch Reservoir is not hard to get to, but it's easy to spend lots of time in Gilpin County and not stumble upon it.  To reach the reservoir, just head uphill on Eureka Street from the center of Central City and continue for 2 miles to the reservoir.  Eureka Street becomes Upper Apex Road and bends right at a prominent Y junction after 1.5 miles, but the route is easy to follow.  An alternate route to the Chase Gulch Reservoir is from Apex Valley Road, which goes west from Highway 119, 1.8 miles north of Blackhawk.  From the beginning of Apex Valley Road, it is 2.3 miles west to Upper Apex Road, then 1.4 miles southeast to the reservoir.  

Vicinity Map

Location Info: [key]

Scenery: 3
Shoreline Interest: 2
Non-motorized
Use: Low-moderate
Fee: None
Access: Gravel
Full elev = 8750
Rec info 
Weather 

Lake Isabel

Lake Isabel is a lesser-known gem nestled in Colorado's Wet Mountains.  It is not the same place as the more familiar Lake Isabelle in the Brainard Lake basin.  So, where exactly are the Wet Mountains?  They parallel the more prominent Sangre de Christo Range on the east, but are less lofty, shorter in length, and without features like 14ers or sand dunes that attract widespread attention.  True to their name, the Wet Mountains receive plenty of precipitation and are home to some lush pine, spruce & fir forests.  

Lake Isabel from the east; St. Charles Peak beyond

Lake Isabel is conveniently located right next to State highway 165, about 18 miles west of the Colorado City exit from I-25 (Exit 74).  The drive time from Denver is just under 2.5 hours.  An alternate route can be navigated along highways 115, 67 and 165 from the north, which adds a modest 20 minutes.  There are two primary parking areas to access Lake Isabel. The North Shore parking area is 1/4 mile west on forest service road 371, which is the first road north of the dam.  The south parking area is on the east side of highway 165, just south of the dam.  Both parking lots are $10/day fee areas.  An America the Beautiful Pass (national parks pass) is also valid here.  

Vicinity Map [click to enlarge]

    

    Location Info: [key]

    Scenery: 4
    Shoreline Interest: 2
    Use: Moderate
    Fee: $10/day use
    Access: Paved
    Full elev = 8500
    Rec. info 
    Weather 

Curt Gowdy State Park

A recreational gem sits in the lumpy, rolling Laramie Range of southern Wyoming.  Curt Gowdy State Park has something for everybody: hiking, mountain biking, wildlife, boating, and even waterside camping!  The state park has become quite popular among Wyoming residents and Coloradoans exploring beyond the state's borders.  For stand-up paddleboarders, the park has three different lakes with their own personalities.  The most interesting paddling is in the lakes' inlets, which meander through the granite outcrops and mid-elevation pine forests that typify the region.  

Granite Springs Reservoir

Even though Curt Gowdy is in a different state, it's a surprisingly quick trip from Denver.  The route to Gowdy follows Wyoming State Highway 210 (Happy Jack Road), exit 10D from Interstate 25.  The exit is about 1.5 miles past Interstate 80, and the route to the park is clearly signed from this point onward.  The main entrance to the park is about 24 miles west of Interstate 25, for a total travel time from Denver of around 2 hours (without traffic).  If you're traveling from Colorado (or any other state), the non-resident fees are $12 for day use and $32.34 for camping.  

Vicinity Map

    Location Info: [key]

    (Granite Springs / Crystal / 

        Upper North Crow)

    Scenery: 4 / 4 / 3
    Shoreline Interest: 4 / 4 / 3
    Use: Moderate / Low-moderate / Low
    Fee: $12/veh day use (non-res)
    Access: Paved/Gravel
    Full elev: 7200 / 6990 / 7500
    Rec info 
    Rec map
    Weather 

Meadow Creek Reservoir

Meadow Creek Reservoir is a nice paddleboarding spot on the Fraser Valley side of Grand County.  It is less known than the lakes in the Granby Area and consequently sees far fewer visitors.  As an added bonus, only non-motorized boating is permitted.  Its proximity to Fraser makes Meadow Creek a local favorite in the Winter Park area, but it rarely feels crowded.  The sprawling forests at the Indian Peak's western foothills create a beautiful Colorado panorama that wraps around the lake.    

Blue waters of Meadow Creek Reservoir

Meadow Creek Reservoir is vehicle-accessible between June 15 and November 15, when Forest Road 129 is fully open.  The approach route to the lake is more obscure than the prominent lakes on the north side of the county.  The turn-off from U.S. 40, County Road 83, is 0.9 miles east of Tabernash and 2.7 miles north of Fraser.  It's at the north end of the long straightaway from Fraser, just before the obvious railroad bridge.  Go east on County Road 83 for 0.4 miles to a Y-ish intersection, then left on County Road 84.  From this intersection onward, there is signage for the route to Meadow Creek Reservoir at every major junction.  After 5.7  miles on County Road 84, go left onto forest service road 129.  Continue for 2.6 miles to the Meadow Creek Dam.  The reservoir is part of the Arapaho National Recreation Area and there are intermittent zones of day use fees for amenities, marked yellow on this map.   Most of the logical launch points are within the fee areas so come prepared with cash for the fee station or a valid America the Beautiful Pass. 

Vicinity Map

    Location Info: [key]
    

    Non-motorized

    Scenery: 4
    Shoreline Interest: 3
    Use: Moderate
    Fee: $5/day
    Access: Gravel
    Full elev = 9980; best near full
    Rec info 
    Rec map        

    Weather

Empire Area

The West Clear Creek Valley above Empire hides two paddle spots that are fairly close to Denver but less busy than other lakes of similar proximity.  Upper Urad and Hassell Lakes are at the top of Woods Creek basin, beyond the disturbances of Henderson and Urad mines.  The valley of Woods Creek can be clearly seen from the descent of Berthoud Pass toward Empire.  The valley's massive tailings flats and unnatural appearance do not give an inviting impression.  But for those who persevere past all the mining operations are rewarded with some surprisingly pleasant mountain waters.  If the thought of a pre-dawn departure or timed-entry permit in the Indian Peaks area causes anxiety, Upper Urad or Hassell might be good alternatives.  

Hassell Lake

The turn-off to Upper Urad and Hassell is 8 miles west of Empire on U.S. 40.  It is just before the first hairpin turn at the base of Berthoud Pass.  Woods Creek Road is a prominent left turn 0.4 miles from U.S. 40.  The parking area for Upper Urad Lake and the Hassell Trailhead is at the end of the road, 3.0 miles further up Woods Creek.  The road is not open all the way to Upper Urad Lake; a 300 yard walk up and around the dam is necessary to get to the water.  

Vicinity Map

    Location info: [key]

    (Upper Urad / Hassell)

    Scenery: 3 / 4
    Shoreline Interest: 2 / 2
    Use: Low-moderate
    Fee: None
    Access: 2WD Dirt 

    (+ 1.8 mi. hike for Hassell)
    Full elev = 10700 / 11350
    Weather 

Rollins Pass East

The road that ascends from the Peak-to-Peak Highway to Rollins Pass follows a century-old rail crossing over the continental divide.  It is bumpy and tedious to drive, but rewards with a cluster of small paddleboarding lakes that can be easily accessed from the road.  Yankee Doodle, Jenny and Upper Forest Lakes are all refreshing summertime escapes, each with their own distinct sub-alpine settings.  There are scattered, primitive camping sites along Rollins Pass Road and any of these lakes make a nice addition to a car-camp outing here.  The upper parts of the road usually don't melt out until July.  Road status can be checked on the forest service website.  

Upper Forest Lake

The eastern approach to the pass departs the CO-119 segment of the Peak to Peak Highway at the small town of Rollinsville.  It is right where the Denver & Rio Grande West tracks cross under the highway, 2 miles south of the junction of highways 119 and 72, or 14 miles north of Blackhawk.  From Rollinsville, County Road 16 (Tolland Road) travels west through the rustic community of Tolland toward the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel.  At 6.5 miles from Rollinsville, just before East Portal, the Rollins Pass road turns sharply east (Forest Road 149) to begin its gently ascending path on the railroad grade up Rollins Pass.  The road becomes rougher and more potholed beyond this point, but is still navigable with a moderate-clearance vehicle--it just requires slow speeds and some patience.  The first Lake to appear is Yankee Doodle at 9.2 miles past the East Portal junction.  

Vicinity Map

    Location Info: [key]

    (Yankee / Jenny / Forest)

    
    Scenery: 4 / 3 / 5
    Shoreline Interest: 2 / 1 / 3
    

    Use: Low-moderate
    Fee: None
    Access: High Clearance 2WD,

    + 0.3 mi. hike for Upper Forest,

    4WD for Jenny Lake
    Full elev = 10700-10850; 

    minimal water level change
    Weather

Chatfield has gotten a lot bigger for paddleboards

The spring of 2023 has brought a lot of water to Colorado's Front Range.  It has been one of the most effective reservoir-filling events in memory.  All 3 of Denver's primary flood control reservoirs (Chatfield, Cherry Creek and Bear Creek) saw substantial surges in storm runoff.  The resulting rise in water level opened up new fronts of paddleboarding along all of the lakes' wooded inlets.  By the beginning of summer, the waters had gradually receded in Cherry Creek and Bear Creek.  Chatfield was different.  Under the reservoir's new re-allocation program, the waters continued to rise until they reached a new storage pool elevation of 5444.

Unbounded paddling on the Platte River Inlet

Purgatory Area

The southern leg of the Million Dollar Highway traverses several magnificent landscapes between the heights of Coal Bank Pass and the lazy flats of Durango's Animas Valley.  Paralleling this segment of the road for many miles are the colorful Hermosa Cliffs, which rise up 2000 feet immediately west.  The area around Purgatory Ski Mountain, in particular, hides an unlikely concentration of mid-elevation lakes on a bench of lumpy terrain between the base of the cliffs and the Animas River Gorge.  Not all of the lakes in this area are open to public use, but the ones that are have some great paddleboarding waters with especially photogenic surroundings.   

Beautiful Potato Lake

Haviland Lake

Haviland Lake sits at the foot of the Hermosa Cliffs, right about at their midpoint.  It is accessed from County Road 671, about 8.5 miles north of Hermosa or 9 miles south of Purgatory on U.S. 550.  The lake is 0.8 miles east of U.S. 550. and has roadside parking with shore access.  Haviland is a wake-free and sees very little variation in water level. 

Vicinity Map: Haviland & Electra

    Location Info: [key]

    Haviland Lake

    Scenery: 4
    Shoreline Interest: 3
    Use: Moderate
    Fee: SWA Pass required
    Access: Gravel
    Full elev = 8106; natural
    Rec info 
    Rec map 
    Weather 

Molas Lake

Molas Lake sits placidly along one of the most vista-rich stretches of the Million Dollar Highway.  

While the famed Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad winds through the treacherous depths of the Animas River Gorge, U.S. 550 elegantly skirts the most rugged terrain via Coal Bank and Molas Passes.  An unlikely flat near the top of the pass provides a perched setting for Molas Lake.  Two additional lakes--Little Molas and Andrews--offer more paddling options very close by.  

Paddling in the heart of the San Juan Mountains

Molas Lake

Highly visible from U.S. 550, Molas Lake is located 5 miles south of Silverton--just below the summit of Molas Pass.  The lake is actually just outside of the San Juan National Forest boundary.  It is owned by the Town of Silverton and managed as a town park, open to the general public.  The town also operates a campground on the east shores of the lake; the west side is open for day use, free of charge.  A small, lakeside store at the campground entrance also offers paddleboard and kayak rentals.  

Vicinty Map

Location Info: [key]

(Molas / Little Molas / Andrews)

Scenery: 5 / 4 / 3
Shoreline Interest: 3 / 1 / 2
Use: Mod-High / Mod-Low / Mod-Low
Fee: None for day use
Access: Gravel
Full elev = 10520 / 10920 / 10800
Rec. info 

Rec. map
Weather 

Bozeman, Montana Area

Bozeman is a fun Montana city with a handful of good stand-up paddle places nearby.  Hyalite Reservoir, Fairy Lake and the Madison River are all well know locally as quick escapes on the water.  The Hyalite area, in particular, is surrounded by many miles of hiking and biking trails that easily roll into a multi-sport day.  

Hyalite Reservoir, view upvalley

Hyalite Reservoir

The Hyalite recreation area is one Bozeman's quickest escapes to Montana's forested high country.  It is understandably popular, but big enough to disperse a lot of the crowds.  It is accessed from Hyalite Canyon Road, 7 miles south from downtown Bozeman on 19th Street.  The first water access point to the water is 10 miles up the canyon, just before the road crosses the dam.   

Vicinity Map

    Hyalite Reservoir    

    Location Info: [key]

    Scenery: 3
    Shoreline Interest: 2
    Use: Moderate
    Fee: None for day use
    Access: Paved/Gravel
    Full elev: 6730

    Rec info 

    Weather 

Looking for SUP places in a certain part of Colorado?

New pages for each SUP region make it more user-friendly on mobile devices!  Just tap the pull-down menu next to "Home" and go!     

For PCs and notebooks, the SUP regions are still on the right sidebar, right below the links for the SUP Map and SUP Places list.  And if you want to jump to the  SUP general information pages, just scroll past the region indexes.  Happy trails!

Monument and Palmer Lake

The towns of Monument and Palmer Lake are home to a couple of inviting paddleboard spots in the highlands between Castle Rock and Colorado Springs.  This area, along the Palmer Divide, is hillier and more wooded than most of the I-25 corridor.  At 7,000 feet in elevation, with the backdrop of the sharply rising Rampart Range, Monument Lake and Palmer Lake feel much more like the foothills than a roadmap would suggest.  State Highway 105 (the Monument exit) runs through both towns and offers the quick access from the interstate.  For a more scenic drive from points north, try Spruce Mountain Road through Larkspur or Perry Park Road out of Sedalia.  

Palmer Lake; Rampart Range beyond

The Colorado Springs metro area has notably less publicly accessible water than Denver or the Northern Front Range.  Monument and Palmer lakes make a nice change of scenery from Prospect and Quail Lakes in town.  Because of their reasonably close proximity to the Springs, they can be very popular on summer weekends.  

Vicinity Map [click to enlarge]

    Location Info [key]

    (Monument / Palmer)

    Scenery: 3 / 3
    Shoreline Interest: 2 / 1
    Use: High
    Fee: None
    Access: Paved
    Full elev = 6950 / 7250
    Rec. map: (Palmer)
    Rec. info: Monument / Palmer
    Weather: Monument / Palmer

Bear Creek Lake's Superpower

Bear Creek Lake is one of metro Denver's most inviting paddleboard places when conditions are good.  Despite the massive size of the dam that impounds it, the lake is fairly compact.  Its shoreline is interesting, with areas of trees and grassy shallows, and it is small enough that it doesn't get overrun by wind.  Furthermore, motorized boats are limited to 10 horsepower.  

Bear Creek water level up 20 feet

But Bear Creek's superpower is an obscure one.  The reservoir sees higher fluctuations above the normal water level than any lake in the region.  Above is the operative word here, because a rise in the water level means that the lake surface expands beyond the established shoreline.  And when there are lots of trees around the lakeshore, it creates a wonderful, shady overlap of lake and forest.  

Bear Creek Inlet, May 2023

Bear Creek Lake South Cove, May 2023

Cherry Creek Reservoir (in rare form)

On average, May is Denver's wettest month. But May of 2023 was one for the recordbooks!  During a multiday soaking event, Denver officially recorded 4.9 inches of rain that caused streams to swell and reservoirs to rise.  Cherry Creek Reservoir, in particular, saw a dramatic impact from the surge of rainwater.  The resulting inundation of the southern shorelines made for a novel paddleboarding experience.  For some backstory, continue reading;  to skip to the paddling, click this link to our Cherry Creek Reservoir post.  

Paddling Cherry Creek at high water

Cherry Creek Dam is one of the three units the make up up the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Tri Lakes Project.  The other two elements are Chatfield and Bear Creek.  Together, the three structures protect Denver from flash floods that could threaten the city during prolonged periods of widespread rainfall upstream.  When significant rain events occur, the dams constrain outflows and reservoir levels rise.  During the May 2023 storm, the water level in Cherry Creek rose 10 feet.  The water level of Chatfield rose 7 feet.  The water level in Bear Creek rose 28 feet!  

Cherry Creek water level rise, May 2023

Cherry Creek Reservoir

Compared to the other major lakes in the Denver metro area (Chatfield, Barr, Big Soda), Cherry Creek is not one that we have spent much time at.  The reasons are that some of the elements that help make an enjoyable paddleboarding experience are simply less abundant at Cherry Creek.  

Smooth waters at south end of Cherry Creek Reservoir

For example, both Chatfield and Cherry Creek get very busy with motorized boats and waterskiers/wakeboarders on summer weekends.  But where Chatfield has large no-wake zones and accessory ponds, Cherry Creek does not.  The squarish shape of Cherry Creek Reservoir also lacks protective coves or inlets to shield the waves and chop that propagate from the open waters of the lake.  There are still some areas can offer easy launching of paddleboards, and there are plenty of times to find calm conditions, but other lakes in the region can typically one-up Cherry Creek.

Vicinity Map

    Location Info: [key]

    Scenery: 1
    Shoreline Interest: 1
    Use: High
    Fee: $9/vehicle
    Access: Paved

    Full (normal) elev = 5550 

    (scroll down to "water levels")

    Rec map

    Rec. info

    Weather 

How can I find out if Barr (or any) Lake is full?

 ...without having to travel there and see for myself...

It's always nice to know ahead of time if favorite paddleboarding places are at their high-water mark, or if they have a bathtub ring of dirt and gravel.  Some of Colorado's most popular lakes have frequently updated, or even real-time reports on water level readily available online.  Barr Lake is not one of them.  What's more, a few feet of rise or drop in water level can be a whole world of difference in paddling experience.

Barr Lake nearing high water in April 2023

Google Maps is a common go-to for many users seeking satellite imagery.  Its resolution is very good and shoreline details such as trees, rock outcrops and access trails are plainly visible.  The imagery on Google Maps is also a helpful supplement to river trip beta, clearly showing areas of riffle, whitewater and sandbars.  However, the interval between imagery updates for a particular area on Goggle Maps ranges from a few months to over a year. 

So, how to find out the current conditions at Barr Lake?  Introducing Sentinel Playground...:

Twin Lakes Area

Twin Lakes is a well-recognized Colorado landmark that sits beneath the lofty Sawatch Range at the eastern gateway to Independence Pass.  A mountain backdrop of Twin Peaks and Mt. Hope makes Twin Lakes a popular subject for landscape photographers, particularly during the autumn color change.  

Twin Lakes Vista

The Sawatch Range rises abruptly from the sagebrush uplands of the Arkansas Valley, through mixed conifer and aspen forests to the rocky tundra of Colorado's tallest peaks.  Mountain vistas like this are typical of the Upper Arkansas Valley, which also contains Clear Creek Reservoir and Turquoise Lake.  All three of these locations are easily accessible from U.S. 24, with only a few minutes gravel or dirt road driving from the highway.  As far as stand-up-paddle places go, the region's best attributes are the scenery, pleasant summertime temperatures, and a plethora of nearby camping and recreational opportunities.  A couple hours of paddleboard time can make a great addition to a camping, mountain biking or fourteener climbing trip in the area.  

Vicinity Map

Twin Lakes Location info: [key]

(East / Middle / West)

Scenery: 4 / 4 / 4
Shoreline Interest: 3 / 2 / 2
Use: Moderate-high / Mod. / Mod.
Fee: Varies
Access: Gravel
Full elev = 9190; water level
Rec. info: East / Middle / West
Weather 

(Scroll down for Clear Creek, Turquoise info)

Alice's Wonderland

Are you one of the millions of travelers who have zoomed past the Alice exit on Interstate 70 west of Denver?  Have you ever pulled off the highway and ventured up Fall River Road to see what lurks up-valley?  If you follow the right paths, you will discover that many small, fantastic lakes live in the heights of this basin.  The sub-alpine tarns in this fun little pocket of Colorado delight paddleboarders, hikers and off-roaders  alike, but all have some form of effort tax.  

A gem in the wonderland

Idyllic St. Mary's Lake is not vehicle-accessible, but can be reached by a moderately steep 0.5 mile hike up the popular St. Mary's Glacier Trail.  Chinns Lake and Loch Lomond are accessed by jeep roads further down in the valley.  Each of these have their own unique wonderland features.  Both Chinns and Lomond have multiple neighbors of similar character that can be accessed by foot or 4WD vehicle.  The routes to all of these lakes generally aren't open and snow-free until mid-July.  They make a great retreat in the late summertime when temperatures on the flatlands below push triple digits.  

Vicinity Map

    Location Info: [key]

    

    (St. Marys / Chinns / Lomond)

    

    Scenery: 5 / 5 / 4 
    Shoreline Interest: 3 / 2 / 3
    Use: Moderate /  / Low-mod / Low-mod
    Fee: $5 parking / None / None
    Access: 0.6 mi. hike / 4WD / 4WD
    Full elev = 10750 / 11050 / 11200
    Weather