Highline Lake

C O L O R A D O P A R K S & W I L D L I F E Highline Lake State Park FACT SHEET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 Who we are Colorado Parks and Wildlife utilizes the principles of conservation - the wise use of natural resources - to effectively manage fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education for the citizens of Colorado and its visitors. Highline Lake State Park is the only reservoir in the Grand Valley that offers power boating, water skiing and jetskiing opportunities. The park is also popular for fishing and swimming, and many visitors use Highline State Park as a camping base for mountain biking and river rafting. Large shade trees and turf grass areas offer a pleasant place to rest and cool off from the summer heat after a hard day of playing. Beginning in September, small game and waterfowl hunting is allowed on weekdays. There are also great bird watching opportunities year-round. Visitors to Highline State Park spend about $7.2 million in local communities each year.1 Top attractions • The park is the center for water sports in the Grand Valley. • The shady picnic sites and campsites at the park provide a very pleasant experience for visitors. • The park provides easy access to many renowned mountain biking trails and is widely used by mountain bikers who want to camp. • The park is a birdwatcher’s paradise, with over 200 species of birds identified within the park. • Highline is the site of major, extreme sports races, including the 18 Hours of Fruita mountain bike race, and the Desert's Edge Triathlon. • Over the Edge Sports • U.S. Bureau of Land Management • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Challenges we face • • • Boating wakes and intense winds in the area generate wave action on the lake that increases erosion along the shoreline. Funding for a breakwater is vital to protecting the valuable shoreline recreation sites. Capacity issues. The park reaches carrying capacity most weekends during the summer, resulting in delays for boaters and occasionally in closure of the park due to lack of parking. Resources within the park, including BBQ grills and picnic tables, are frequently overcrowded. Due to the number of boats coming from Lake Powell, now fully infested with quagga mussels, Highline Lake is on the front lines in teh battle to keep these invasive pests out of Colorado. Volunteer activities • The campground host program is critical to the campground operation at the park. • Volunteers also help at the visitor center, with the maintenance program, with raptor monitoring and as trail hosts. Their service is very important to the overall park operation. 1Source: Corona Research, Colorado State Parks Marketing Assessment, “Visitor Spending Analysis 2008-2009" (adjusted for inflation). COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216 (303) 297-1192 cpw.state.co.us KEN PAPALEO/CPW Our partners 1800 11.8 Road, Loma, CO, 81524 (970) 858-7208 • Email: highline.park@state.co.us Park Manager: Alan Martinez As of June 30, 2017 Manager’s message Highline Lake is an oasis in the desert. As the only water-based recreation area in the Grand Valley, the lake and day use area are at capacity most weekends during the summer. If you plan on camping at Highline Lake on weekends, make sure to make reservations 6 months in advance, as the campground is full every weekend from mid-March through the end of October. Weekday use makes it easier to find a campsite and enjoy the beautiful campsites that have turf grass and large shade trees. If you get the opportunity, come out and visit during the weekdays when you will have the park mostly to yourself. Annual Visitation 180,691 Geography Region: Northwest County: Mesa Year Acquired: 1966 Elevation: 4,700 ft Miles From Denver: 264 Facilities 2 Boat Ramps Dump Station Group Picnic Area Laundry 105 Picnic Sites Showers (coin-operated) Visitor Center Acreage Total Acres: 562 Governmental US Cong Dist: 3rd CO Senate: 7th CO House: 54th Trails Biking: 9.6 miles Hiking: 9.6 miles Horseback: 3.5 miles Cross Country Skiing/ Snowshoeing: 9.6 miles Total: 9.6 miles Employees Permanent: 4 Temporary: 13 Volunteers: 63 Volunteer Hours: 7,175 Roads Paved: 2.5 miles Unpaved: 0.3 miles Recreation Boating Fishing Geocaching Hunting Ice Fishing Ice Skating Jet Skiing Ranger/Nature Programs Sailboarding Swimming Water Skiing Wildlife/Bird Viewing Winter Camping Camping Campsites (basic,year-round): 36 Group Facilities (year-round) Walden Fort Collins Craig Hayden Steamboat Springs Sterling Estes Loveland Park Greeley Oak Creek Fort Brush Morgan Meeker Kremmling Wray Brighton Denver Golden Avon Vail Highline Lake Rifle Frisco Glenwood Springs Breckenridge Collbran Fruita Aspen Leadville Castle Rock Limon Burlington Fairplay Grand Junction Delta Paonia Hotchkiss Buena Vista Crawford Colorado Springs Kit Carson Cripple Creek Olathe Gunnison Montrose Salida Pueblo Ouray Lamar La Junta Dove Creek Walsenburg Monte Vista Dolores Cortez Mancos Durango Alamosa La Veta Springfield Pagosa Springs Trinidad COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216 (303) 297-1192 cpw.state.co.us KEN PAPALEO/CPW Canon City Ridgway KEN PAPALEO/CPW Highline Lake State Park