It's that time of year where the park hours are reduced just as much as the visitors. However the wildlife presence is abundant. My recent walk with my pup allowed us a peaceful day and we spotted a hawk, many (very many!) gulls and even a Pronghorn family. Nature is beautiful here at the res. Once again, the restrooms and children's play area are undergoing a few minor improvements. While these areas are closed, the rest of the park is open. Note that the parks pass does not allow entry to the reservoir. Visitors can purchase day passes, paying by check, credit card or Apple Pay are accepted. read more

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A little hidden gem in Aurora. $10 on offseason weekends to visit. I went for a little "beach" trip to read my book and enjoy some spring sunshine. Couple people were out in boats fishing so it was a really relaxing time. I'm sure it's more crowded during the summer. read more

Aurora Reservoir - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Aurora Res is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and bonus that it's tucked way in south East Aurora, less foot traffic! My only complaint is that you have to buy a separate pass to come and play here (not included in state parks pass) but it is wallet friendly plus if you come enough you get your moneys worth! They have a nice little beach area to sit and play plus you can launch your sup or kayak from it as well. Parking galore along with a building for restrooms so no janky portapotties! I mainly come here to paddleboard and I've had a great time figuring out what routes I like to take and the scenery it entails. Very family friendly but leave the pups at home if you want to go in the water, no dogs allowed. read more

Aurora Reservoir - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Great place to get away. Fishing, wind surfing, boating, archery, scuba diving and swimming are popular at this reservoir. Our water supply for our city is super clean cold and clear. 75% trout stocked with bass, walleye, wiper, crappie, cat fish and perch the other 25%. Catch them deep from whatever your floating in or fish from the grooved damn walls.Open 6:30am-6:30pm. Passes avail with access to both reservoirs Aurora and Quincy. Shelters available for rent for family get togethers too. Have an Awesome Summer! read more

Aurora Reservoir - A beautiful day relaxing - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Thanks to the Aurora History Museum and their infinite wealth of knowledge, I learned that the Aurora Reservoir gets its water from high up in the Colorado mountains and is pumped in the reservoir for the growing city. I also like how the whole surrounding area was fashioned like a west coast beach with soft sand and other beach like features. You can also fish, swim and they have a boat launch ramp as well a a recreation trail around the perimeter for walking and biking. Great place to visit and enjoy year round. read more

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Super gross swim beach. Very crowded on the weekends. People block the paved path that goes around the water by just standing there looking at you trying to pass. read more

Very nice place to go for a variety of activities. The entrance fee is $10 which is reasonable for a car full of people. If you go often the annual pass is $100 (I believe) and less for seniors. There are benches that you can use for picnics. Some are first come first served and there may be ones that can be rented for parties. Look forward to coming back soon. read more

While visiting the area I had the opportunity to paddle board here twice. How wish I had something like this close to my home. A big open lake with plenty of sandy beach for launching. Plus there is a dedicated swim area from which kids and parents can enjoy the water without worrying about the boats or boards. I am not sure of the exact rules but the only motors I saw were very small so no wake was created when they went by. Life preservers are required if on PB, kayak etc and if don't have one they rent them for $10. Not sure about the bath facilities as I never used them. No food is available for purchase here so make sure to bring your own. read more

Perfect place for a summer outing with family or friends. The Aurora Reservoir is south east of downtown Denver. Parking entry is $10 for weekdays and $15 on weekends. Open until 8pm. There is a nice shallow designated swimming area with lots of lifeguards and the rest of the lake is perfect for kayaking and paddle boarding. There are really nice facilities with restrooms and I saw lots of people bringing grills to cook while they spend the day there. Besides the water activities, there's a nice hiking and bike trail. For being a gridlocked city, I almost felt like I was really at the beach. read more

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Always a great place to fish and walk around. Often take our bikes and ride the path around. Good exercise and scenery

I have a little kid, so I think the "beach" is great. No waves, just enough water to paddle and play in. It can get busy in summer (well last summer it did) but if you go early you might be lucky enough to get a table under the shade sales. At the moment the beach is closed for COVID but they're open for the walking trails, boating and fishing. My girlfriends and I went out kayaking today and it was great. It's windy so the ranger told us to stay in the bay and to wear our life vests. The parking lot has been spaced out for social distancing, every 2nd space has "no parking" sprayed on the spots and there's a separate entry and exit for light vessels like kayaks, SUP boards etc. We had a great morning out on the water. Saw a few turtles and a deer. read more

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What a nice place to run, bike, walk . There is a $10 entry day fee or you can purchase an annual pass for around $70. You'll pull up to the entry booth and pay cash there. They'll give you a tag to place on your windshield while your visiting, and a booklet about info while there. There are a few places to park. The 1st parking is just to the left , a dirt lot for about 30 cars. Going down the ways past that dirt lot , you'll drive forward coming up to a larger area near the lake , and lastly if your driving towards the lake, on your right , you'll find an upper lot with lots of parking. There is a visitor center and a few informational buildings. There are restrooms, gazebos, benches. You can actually reserve and rent these. If nobody is there you can use them. But in busy spring and summer days , I'd recommend inquiring about a reservation. Today I packed a lunch and took an 8 mile bike ride on a paved trail around the reservoir. Along the way there are several permanent port a potty type structures. There are people sharing the trail to run and walk their pups. Along the entire lake you'll see folks fishing. Permits required for over 16. I'll be back for that , I love to fish. There is watercraft recreation allowed but only seasonally, no sail boats. I really enjoyed coming here and it was nice to get moving outdoors today. Can't wait to revisit. read more

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Great place, but also often crowded. Can't blame the crowds as the weekend and holiday entry price is $15 a vehicle and $10 on the weekdays. Dog friendly, but dogs are not allowed in the sand or near water. Restrooms have working plumbing and locker rooms, bring your own lock. Service works decent at swim beach read more

This review is for the gate clerk - your customer service is top notch! Thank you for just being it goes a million miles to show a difference. Kinda tired of going places- anywhere where people are just miserable. So Thank you again!!! Wish I had gotten your name today...10-28-18. We went to use the Archery range 3rd time here. We recommend bringing your own targets & beware of arrows going way over and hiking thru cactus grounds to find. BUT; it is a great place with beautiful views allowing folks like us to shoot at a reasonable entrance fee or yearly pass. Thank you Aurora reservoir for having this available for all even non Aurora residents. read more

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This place is as beautiful as it is amazing, beach, swimming, paddleboarding, food courts, volleyball covered seating, archery, scuba diving, public restrooms, hiking trails biking trails.. open all seasons in the sunny state of Colorado! read more

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It's not a beach. Don't go there expecting a beach because you will be very disappointed. It is fun for the kids to play though, there's plenty of fun to be had at this place. Bring a cooler, and some shade and you will end up having tons of fun! read more

Aurora Reservoir - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

if ur looking to spend $15 and have 0 fun then go there! for a giant beautiful lake there are 100000 rules and you can't have any fun what so ever! over packed with people and yet no one is having any fun. great place to get away and have 0 fun! id have more fun going to the library and reading a book then going to this place. the only thing that this place allows you to do is breathe air and look at the water basically, probably would still find a way to yell at you tho! read more

This place looks beautiful and is great if you have small kids or if you are with a group of friends. It's not dog friendly at all, you can't walk on the beach because the water is drinking water, I was told that if my dog peed that it would contaminate the water that is used as drinking water. Understandable, but do people not pee in this water anyway, I'm sure there's been a few people who've done it. So just thought the whole thing was strange as I'm not even allowed to walk my dog around the beach areas. Then why pay $10 and the guy saw I had a dog-he could've said "hey your dog won't be allowed in the beach areas" I'm just saying. read more

The day started off with the promise of an ocular migraine getting my family ready for the day, and being sleep deprived didn't help either but it's necessary dedication for someone's post surgical oral care. A good night's sleep is essential for healthy bone reformulation and lacking that and the organs to make this happen, sets me back now and then. My idea of fun is laying down in the shade on a comfortable recliner while people bring me food and drink but my responsibilities yank me back into place.. Today I dropped my organizational urges with a THWACK, like a heavy platter of meatballs in a thick sauce, that rolled over my clean wood floor in every direction, because prioritizing my mental health needs always comes first. I get sick in the back seat and don't like being driven like we are on a military mission but I closed my eyes and held on. If I drove, it would take hours because I always get lost. Plus I reminded my brain that we were not driving in the mountains because I get sick driving down sharp hills fast. No I will not be screaming at the driver to slow down as we plummet down steep hills after the Eisenhower Tunnel, so I forced myself to relax. I did mention during a straightaway of rural road how I would like to live another day. Coming from California and living close to the ocean, I really miss seeing any body of water but Colorado has many rivers and lakes to satisfy those needs. But seeing this beach and crystal clear lake, awakened me from my grouchiness and gave me joy. We were there for an employee picnic, and anyone can see how clean and well maintained this park is. Covered picnic areas need to be reserved in advance and many people wheeled their own barbeque machines down the hill to the picnic area. The lake has a special area for swimming, with a net to protect swimmers from boaters, fisherman and deep waters. One must bring beach equipment to protect young children from the sun, and it does get very hot here. It was almost 100 degrees with an incoming powerful thunderstorm. We witnessed the strong downdraft that nearly knocked us down. Bring plenty of cold drinks and foods. Thankfully there are plenty of restrooms with lockers as well. There's a strong breeze off the lake that refreshes you from the heat. It's about 15-20 minutes from the Cherry Creek State Park, if you drive with gusto. There is also ice fishing in the winter. A must see. Very beautiful and very clean, and many policemen to ensure your safety. Get there early. After lunch there's a long line waiting to get into the park. Lots of walking from the parking lot to your destination. Wear comfortable shoes. When it was time to go my family raced up the hill instead of taking the stairs, and I had to run up the hill in the heat or they would have forgotten I came along, and hitching a ride on the two lane road back to Hamden came to mind, but it gave me the adrenaline to follow the heard. Next time I'm holding the car keys. read more

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This is an awesome non motorized boat reservoir! You can rent SUPs and kayaks for only $15 per hour! The entrance fee is only $10! Well worth a visit! read more

Aurora Reservoir - Entrance - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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We needed water since summers in Colorado are brutal, we came here and not a lot of swimming area but enough that you can enjoy it. Social distancing is your responsibility, not everyone in the water follows it. There are areas to grill and gazebos but it seems to be first come first serve. Lifeguards on duty and they seem to be doing a pretty good job and they keep the beach clean during 15 min safety breaks (they have you get out of the water every 30 min for 15 min and they call it safety break) it was nice to just come how a couple of beers and get in the cold water (don't expect it to be above 60 degrees in there even when the weather is high 90s). read more

This place is really nice we got there early. If it's wasn't for us to get there early we would of been packed in side the beach play area. So get there early. Also really sunny take something for shade read more

I really like coming here because I use this as my personal time to unwind and get out on the water. My main complaint is there was a young man working the boat rental by the name of Gabe and he was pretty unfriendly. He spoke way too fast and didn't greet me with a smile. I was out there for 1 hour and 25 minutes and he charged me for 2 hours. Last week I was here for 1 hour and 20 minutes and I was charged for 1 hour. If they're going to charge for 2 hours when I wasn't out there for 2 hours, they need to practice some consistency as I wasn't planning on spending $30 for only being here 90 minutes. They already charge up the nose for a day pass when it used to be $5! They should charge for the second half of the hour if you pass the 30 minute mark. So please, aurora reservoir. You guys aren't a state park and you're privately funded. Please be fair with your policies, practice some consistency and hire more friendly staff. read more

Aurora Reservoir - Good old Memorial Day lines. Still, I love this place so it's worth it. - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

This reservoir has nice, large beaches, and ample space around them to sit in the shade and picnic. There is good water quality and since there is nothing motorized allowed and that also makes it so there is space for a TON of canoes, paddle boards, etc without getting into one another's way. read more

We love this reservoir! It has a decent sized beach for tanning and swimming. There are life guards watching all the littles. You can rent paddle boards and spend the day doing stand up boarding, boating or fishing. The picnic shelters have grills and are independently booked by the day. The nature center is clean and has lots of cool things to learn about. The naturalist Joy, who taught bug education to our Girl Scout troop, was super knowledgeable and fun! The bathrooms are pretty clean too. Warning though: on the holidays it is PACKED out. Filled with folks playing frisbee and grilling everywhere and the water is packed with children. 10.00 to park once or 55/65 for an annual pass. read more

Aurora Reservoir - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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it was nice. the water was so clean and clear. fun to be at and you can enjoy with our being disturbed.

It says dogs welcome but they only let them on the sand drove 1 hour and 30 to get there and they told me he wasn't even able to swim. So stupid!!!! read more

Fantastic! A little pricey 10$ each time you go, however may be worth it with a yearly pass. I went early Spring 2013 and was very buggy, be sure to wear bug spray. nice scenic views and get to enjoy hearing wildlife and ride next to a lake I took my bike and my 6 year old son took his, not recommended for a younger kiddo. I had to help walk my sons bike up some hills. Great solo! read more

Aurora Reservoir - 2013 - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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This lake is terrible. In the beach area my wife and I were told repeatedly that we can't stand in the water because you aren't allowed to wade unless you're in the swim area. I was FIVE feet off the shore standing directly behind my kayak. Straight Nazi park rangers. No military discount either unless you're a disabled veteran. So you have to actually be hurt overseas to get a discount. Nevermind any other service. If I could give this sh!thole of a state park negative stars I would. read more

The closest thing to a beach. It is clean, there are life guards, it is monitored all the time and there are tons of affordable activities for all tastes. LOVE IT read more

Stay away all you folks who think this part of DENVER is "Kansas!" We like our private beaches and beautiful open plains over here! Plus, we have Dion's!!! read more

Aurora Reservoir - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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Fun place for the kids - the park area is fun ... The reason I give it 3 stars is because there is no shade on the beach, you have to claim shelter if you want shade. Also the snack bar menu isn't very good. No hot dogs, pretzels ... nothing. They have wraps which is good but not for my 3 year old. Most baseball/teeball fields have better choices. Last summer they had those choices - not sure why they changed. read more

Aurora Reservoir - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

The yearly park pass is only valid per calendar year, and there is an extra charge for watercraft. If you are using a watercraft, stay in the left lane heading into the entry station area for an inspection. A Stand Up Paddle board (SUP) is considered a watercraft and will need to be inspected. Parking in the boat launch area is ample, and since I don't have a trailer, I can usually get a "front row" spot. It is clearly posted at the boat launch beach area, that it is for boat launches and swimming is not allowed. The park rangers will enforce this rule, which is nice for those of us trying to launch or land a SUP, kayak, canoe, etc. Perhaps asking people if they know how to read as a function of entry into the park would prevent people from trying to swim at the boat launch area, but I digress. The bathroom facility located closest to the boat launch beach area is adequate and generally clean. The boat launch beach is nice and not crowded since you are not allowed to swim at that beach. Motorized boats are restricted to those with trolling motors so you don't hear the sounds of the big boat motors. This is also nice in that upon leaving the water, I don't have an oily film on my body. (This is why I refuse to swim or SUP at Cherry Creek Reservoir) There is canoe, kayak, paddle boat, cruiser bikes, and water bikes for rent; unfortunately, SUPs are not available for rental. Prices seem nominal. There is a snack bar closer to the swim beach area; I am not sure of the operating hours read more

This reservoir is very very far from me, 40+ min drive, and based on the reviews I thought it'd be worth the trip, and it was, but just barely. I have to say that the facilities are nice, because they are new. Also everything is close together, which is handy. Showers are close too. Sand is a actual sand, which is fabulous. Also they have boat rentals on site, which is fun. 30 bucks gets you two hours in a fishing boat. 20 for canoe, paddle board or pedal boat. The nicest thing is that it does not stink. Cherry creek is actually smelly. Chatfield can be yucky, but aurora is very clean. Reasons or only 3 stars: It is very far from everything. Except aurora. Not a fan of aurora. The facilities are nice and clean, but are still of the public lake variety. The swim area is very very small. I imagine it gets crowded in the summer, it would not be great crowded. Of all den/metro city reservoirs, it's the best one. But it's just a clean well maintained reservoir. But for a 45 min drive, I'd rater go to a jeffco park. read more

I'm not an Aurora fan. At all. So when I found out that we would have to head here for my man's company picnic, my heart sank. Couldn't they find a better spot? Out we drove. Now, I almost gave this place a solid 3 stars for the entry fee alone. Each car is $10, so on the busy weekends, vanloads of people, crammed in to the gills, each shell out a buck or so each, while a car with just my sweetie and me cost just the same. Revise the fee system, please. That's the worst. The boats sitting in the drydock meadows are pretty surreal, especially for somebody who grew up in the PNW... and especially since you can't see the res at that point. To me, this is a tiny, tiny body of water. Boating here seems dangerous, but if you need the life aquatic, I guess this is as good a spot as any. There's a small swimming cove designated for people who wanna dabble. The AWQUA Lounge is an educational center, and was way cooler than we had hoped, bumping this review to the 4 stars that it is. There were tubs of water from the res sitting around the center, along with petri dishes and microscopes. It was awesome to check out the creatures that call the Aurora res their home. The woman who worked at the center was especially helpful, knowledgeable, and just a cool lady. We had fun checking out water fleas and damselfly larvae. The rest of the facilities here were super clean, and very busy on the sunny Sunday we were there. read more

This was my first Colorado lake-side experience. We came here because of a recommendation from a nice lady from Little Monkey Bizness. We brought some picnic food and drinks and had lunch in the gazebo area. After lunch we went to the water. It felt cold, but I was able to adapt quickly. Didn't feel cold after getting used to the water. We rented paddle boats for $10/hr. We got to see a pirate sailboat and a Ranger rescue a troubled man in an over turned kayak. My face did get sun-burnt. That will be my souvenir from this place. I would give more stars if there was more shade areas for picnickers. I did like to see the ducks all around, but I did not like to see all the duck poop everywhere. read more

I love this place. Like to ride here since there is not too much traffic it's perfect. I also take the kiddos here often for picnics. They rent out paddle boats and canoes. They also have volleyball nets and covered picnic tables. The kids also like the swim beach and the play ground. It's best to go during the week because summer weekends get packed here. I also know they have organized night fishing events! Never have tried it but it sounds fun! read more

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This is the closest to the Beach that I can hope to get in Colorado... I love it! It makes me miss California all that much more. $10 to enter the park sounds totally reasonable. read more

What a fun place to hang out at that's close to home and not crazy expensive. Enjoyed paddle boating today, but there's a path that runs along the reservoir, fishing, archery range and other fun activities too. Can't go wrong visiting this place. They try very hard to maintain the park and all areas within. read more

Aurora Reservoir - Paddle boating - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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A great set up for scuba certification & training with covered pavilions, tables and a sandy beach. The scuba area is fully protected & buoyed off, too bad they couldn't fix the visibility, 4ft at best. read more

Aurora Reservoir - Scuba certification with Underwater Phantaseas. - Boating Near Me - Aurora, Colorado