I used to frequent Cherry Creek State Park and the Cherry Creek Reservoir almost daily when I lived right next to them. I have moved about 40 minutes away so I can't go that often anymore but still enjoy my time there when I do go. The reservoir itself is nice. During the summer, you can see people chilling on the sand, riding boats, paddle boarding, walking around, biking, etc. It really is a nice spot to just relax. I see some people swimming in the water which I personally wouldn't do. It does get very crowded during the summer. The bathrooms are what you would expect from a state park bathroom. Parking is plentiful there and you can find it all around the reservoir. If you have the state parks pass through your vehicle registration, you definitely should by the way, you can get in "for free". read more

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This was our first visit to the reservoir. We were there in the morning for the swimming beach & had a lot of fun. We arrived early on a Sunday in hopes of beating the crowds & we did. There was plenty of parking available that time of day. This reservoir not only has a swim beach, but many other activities as well such as, boating including a marina with boat rentals, fishing, camping, 35 miles of hiking trails, an off leash dog park & even a shooting range. Note, In renewing my car registration I purchased the Keep Colorado Wild Pass for $29, that covers entrance fees for all the state parks in Colorado for one year. If you don't have the pass, prices are $10-$12 per day with Colorado plates. There was a little bit of a walk from the parking lot to the water. On our way there we passed by available life jackets if you need them & bathrooms. This reservoir & beach were big. It had a pretty view of the city & mountains in the distance. The beach was nice, it was sandy & the water felt great, just a little cool getting in. There were some rocks in the water to look out for, so water shoes might be a good idea. I didn't like the "green seaweed stuff" floating around in spots & the wasps in some areas where the beach edge meets the water. There was very little shade near the water too. Next time we will bring a pop up canopy tent. However, there are some really big shade trees away from the water. I'm looking forward to visiting again! read more

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Let's start with the good. Plenty of space to explore since this reservoir area was gigantic. Never had a problem finding parking, and they had a nice little "beach" if you could call it that there. Lots of place to take your dog for a walk as well. Now for the bad/stinky. The beach had a foul odor that smelt like burnt sulfur if you were close enough to the water. Lots of bugs and the restrooms were pretty rough. They also charge $11 just to enter. I'd recommend the Rocky Mountain arsenal national wildlife refuge if you're visiting and want a nice outdoor activity to experience while you're here in town. It's about a 30 minute drive north of this reservoir. read more

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Dirty, stinky. Lots of algae in swim area. vile stench everywhere. one positive was the rangers let us borrow life vests.

I've certainly under appreciated this state park for the last 26 year of my residency in Denver. My current house being only 5 to 10 minutes away from this park, I should have utilized it more for hiking/walking so I owe this park an apology! My friend couple invited me to their camping today and I simply had an amazing time at site #34 on Coyote Loop. Campsites are nicely spaced from one another and people around us smiled at me (us) whenever I (we) made an eye contact with them; they were so respectful. A strong wind developed at the start of the campfire dinner so we had to step inside my friends' camper/RV to eat our supper. Only about an hour later, the wind died down so we could get our campfire going at last. Beautiful Colorado sky gradually turned from blue to dark blue as the night fell and it was stunning to see the crescent moon (like the shape of Bermuda Islands.) I'm now determined to utilize this park more often. I can even walk from my northeast DTC townhouse to it if I choose to do so. read more

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The beach made for a good break when we went over the summer. It wasn't extremely crowded and the kids had fun in the water. Most people are on the beach, but there were others on boats, having cookouts, and playing volleyball. The beach isn't far from the entrance and I'll have to check out some of the trails next time. read more

Cherry Creek Reservoir - Lakes Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

In early December, the lake completely freezes over and stays this way until late March/early April. This enables many sports like ice skating. This photo was taken on March 12, 2022. The sunsets here are very beautiful. Fishing here, although not for me, my family has a long history fishing here, and it's one of the best spots in Metro Denver, Colorado to do so. There is many spots to swim in and the water is incredibly warm by June. I've swam in here numerous times growing up. The park rangers are a bit strict, so be sure to carry your fishing license if you're fishing. There's many spots to lounge along the numerous beaches to eat lunch and have a picnic, relax and tan, let the kids swim, or just enjoy your afternoon. Overall this place is very nice to be at, all year round. Wear weather-appropriate clothing :) -With Colorado weather in 2021, the lake didn't freeze over until late January because December was unusually warm. I'm not sure if this trend will continue, but i'd trust coming after new years to see major ice. read more

Cherry Creek Reservoir - Lakes Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

I came out to Cherry Creek Reservoir State Park for hiking/birding in the wetlands area. The trails were snowy and packed down, without too many markings--but the traffic patterns generally show where to go. It was far less relaxing than I had hoped because of the constant sound of gunfire from the nearby shooting range and the noisy aircraft flying over (genuinely unsure if they were small planes flying to/from Centennial Airport or large models from the model aircraft field). Plus traffic. It is nice to have this oasis in the middle of the city, but it felt far more like an urban park than a refuge. On the bright side, now I know for sure that the popping noises I sometimes hear in my neighborhood at night are definitely not fireworks but pistol shots! read more

Went here this weekend and was very pleasantly surprised to find a fun park with water quite close to Denver. The entrance area was packed with traffic, so that was a drawback. But aside from that and the crowd, it was pleasant. The water was great, people were friendly, and the beach was a nice little perk I didn't expect to find. I recommend this as an outing for your family or friends! read more

Cherry Creek Reservoir - Beach area view from gazebo - Lakes Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

This reservoir is a destination in the metro area. I highly recommend doing all sorts of outdoor activities for all ages and abilities at the state park. There are great trails for hiking, flower observing, animal watching, birdwatching, biking, swimming, hiking, Kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, floating in tubes and drinking, chilling on the sand beaches, Boating, jet skiing, picnicking, sunset watching, and taking your furry friends to the dog park. We love going to the reservoir to go Paddleboarding. The water is mostly clean, not too cold and well-maintained. Inflatable paddleboard's were our pandemic purchase and we love this reservoir so much we often bring friends and out of town visitors to enjoy this beautiful reservoir so close to home and in the metro area. This beautiful reservoir is only a 10 minute drive from home and also has lots of incredible bike trails that connect to other amazing local parks and neighborhoods. OnHavanaStreet, Parker Road and other nearby neighborhoods have some amazing diverse restaurants nearby. We often pick up delicious takeout and go straight to the reservoir to picnic or to chill in the car and watch the beautiful sunset over the water. If fishing or visiting after sunset in the summer months then definitely remember to bring your bug spray or wear long sleeve shirts/long pants. In the evenings in the summer you can definitely get lots of mosquito bites. This is also a beautiful place to visit year round. We often enjoy all seasons at the reservoir. In the winter months you will often see people ice fishing. It's always really cool to drive around the state park and see it full of snow. Often near the reservoir there are trails and plenty of times you will see the wildlife. In the winter months it's always fun to see the deer or fox play in the snow. In the summer months it's always fun to go on the nature walks and enjoy the wildflowers. read more

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This place is horrible! There are dead fish/crawfish bodies everywhere, the water is polluted, and it is only meant for boats. If you have been to any real beaches before you should not come here!!! read more

Great sites! Would give 5 stars except due to all the rain, the ground coverage is extremely overgrown harboring an oasis for mosquitoes.

Beautiful park with swim beaches, fishing, and boating! Great place to enjoy a sunset! Too bad the facilities, especially the bathrooms are wretched! Filthy and many toilets and urinals are broken! Where is all our tax money going? read more

Cherry Creek Reservoir - View of water from East swim beach - Lakes Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

Very packed. On other side of lake entrance past the gun range is a very small beach with great shade. Tons of paddle boats and a great spot for them but lots of seaweed. The lake police even checked for life jackets.... great job guys. Will be back next time I'm in Colorado! read more

A 5 stars= "woohoo as good as it gets." I've only been to two reservoirs in CO that have "beaches" and of the two, this 1 was the better 1. So yes-for me this is as good as it gets. I really enjoyed the three times I came here. I came once just for a walk. There are many trails & walking is free! (Parking a car costs..). Plus, it is dog friendly! I came another time to paddle board & then a third time to water tricycle. The water wasn't too cold and the sand is decent. There is a small current in the lake so it gives you the illusion of a real beach. The area is great for families and picnics. They have designated picnic bench areas with grills and a nice trail on which you can bike (12 miles of paved trail). Other activities here include: camping, boating, fishing, snow tubing (when conditions allow), volley ball, ice skating (@ your own risk) and swimming. read more

Always a great place for the family! We camp with our trailer in the cap ground and then spend time at the beach and hiking with our 4 yer old daughter. A great get away in the city. read more

Cherry Creek Reservoir - Swim beach east side - Lakes Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

24/7 Fun If you are camping or if you have pole in the water you can be here at any time of day. This is one of the few spots I know where you can get 24/7 access. Tell you truth, I have only partook in some of this park's awesomeness. But there is something for everyone. For those of us that love the second amendment with a fevre nt passion, we having shoting ranges and skeet shooting. Yes I said skeet shooting but it's not the kind your kid brother did. It's the kind where tell pull and disc fly in multiple directions for you to shot at. For the outdoor junkies like my myself, you got trails to walk, camping, boating, and fishing. If you live near the area check it out. read more

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I was very disappointed at the way Cherry Creek handled the wave runners and the jet skiers and they were continuously running into where there's no wake buoys and causing three foot waves the Coast guard boat wasn't catching these guys and about 10 of them circled us like sharks and ran us out of the water something needs to be done the way the Coast guard handles the running of the jet skis and the waverunners that are running people off the water not fair bad day all around doubt I'll take my boat on that water again read more

This is a great reservoir, and nice that it's kind of in the middle of civilization so you don't have to go all the way out west to get to some water you can swim in. It can get busy, but it's a huge reservoir with lots of places to park and lots of beach areas. Loads of walking trails, paved and un-paved, and good for animal spotting. We've seen Deer's there a lot. They also have a shooting range, restaurant/event center and a remote control airplane area. My favorite thing about it, it that you can just keep driving around if you need to put your baby to sleep, or keep him asleep. I have an annual pass so I can drive in whenever and keep driving around and around. Sometimes you might get a few hoon's wanting to drive faster than the speed limit but that's normal. read more

This is an excellent park for the family to come and cool off in the waves or have a killer time fishing! We like that both activities happen in the same body of water so that the kids can go from one activity to the next very easily! The roped off section for swimming is great for the kids because it really only goes to about 4 ft in the deepest end! It's fun to watch the boaters and water skiers zooming by and doing tricks! The sand is soft and doesn't get scorching hot beneath your feet and the water is usually pretty decently warm! We like to bring big floaties and just kick back in the water but the best thing is the tanning! There is so much room on the beach, it's easy to find a place to catch some sun! Bring some kind of shade for the family as the beach is lacking spots close to the water that offer shade! They allow tents, umbrellas and other shade providing mechanisms that you can set up anywhere on the beach for your family's convenience! The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is I've never seen a lifeguard on duty during the week and that's a bummer that worries me for the kiddos and the goose poop covering the entire entrance of the swimming portion of the lake is a super big turn off, the water is green and brown, not crystal clear like at Bear Creek lake so it makes me not feel comfortable to remove my shoes in the water! Wish the park staff walked around more to pick up trash as well, it seems like the visitors in aurora leave a big mess for nature to somehow clean up for itself and that's super heartbreaking to see! Keep your parks clean please because we enjoy it here a great deal!! read more

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I love the park setting in the middle of the city. The ONLY reason I am giving it a one star is because of the Ranger and some of his workers. He especially is the LEAST compassionate person I have met in a very long time. NOT GREAT Public relations for the park. Truly sad to have to leave this review because kindness goes a LONG way! Perhaps he should get a job as a JUDGE or something instead of a Public servant working for the state. read more

Took my dog to the open space dog park so he can play in the water. The main entrance from the reservoir was a 28 minute walk from the car to the water area. Most of the water was dried up there was one area with a little bit of water but not much. Signs should have been posted at the entrance to the dog park that there was no water so that you can save yourself from walking in the heat. Also went to a swim beach so that we could picnic and get in the water. The brick building that is supposed to be restroom had signs on it that it was permanently closed and use the Porta potty's in the parking lot. There were two parking lots connected to this swim beach area and there were no Porta potty's to be seen. Want to guess where everyone was probably going! There was an awful awful stink to the left of the swim beach near the rocks with swarms of flies attacking us and my dog. Disgusting and not a pleasant day. I will stick to Chatfield reservoir read more

I had my senior ditch day here, and couldn't be happier with the beautiful scenery here. I loved the sand in between my toes, the grilling of hamburgers and games of volleyball. The memories were alive and well as many students united here to run freely in the waves of the water and realize how beautiful life could really be. I enjoyed the sunny weather that went along with it, and the friendly park rangers who only did nothing more but care for our safety. The built in picnic tables were convenient to help us set up our food and icy cold drinks. The parking was also affordable and easy to find. I had a blast here, and hope you do too. read more

Made for a wonderful birthday lake day even on Labor Day weekend (it wasn't too busy)

We burned an hour of our vacation literally just sitting in standstill traffic because the employees here couldn't get it together. There was no way to turn around and escape, no warning about how long it would take. When we finally approached the booth to get in and were able to speak with an employee, she told us that we just happened to be unlucky enough to fall between shift changes, or something. This later turned out to be utter crap, as when we left an hour or so later, the line of cars was just as mind-numbingly long. The reservoir itself was pretty gross; the beach is full of wrappers and cigarette butts, the water is roped off like 5 feet in. What a huge headache and waste of time. read more

Went with my kiddo this summer and it was fun for him. We spent the day at the "beach". We went on a weekday so not too crowded. Water was a little mucky, sand was dirty with tons of feathers laying around. Water was surprisingly warm. We made the day of it and actually collect little tiny shells and brought them home, found a live one too! read more

Cherry Creek Reservoir - Lakes Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

It was nice. It reminded me of Pennsylvania "beaches" aka a man made reservoir like this with little sandy areas. I didn't intend to really do anything I just wanted to check it out and was kinda disappointed by lack of an outdoor eating area besides the little pub. It was also kind of like the little area around Navy Pier in Chicago. It's a nice little spot to bring friends and family to visit for camping idk. read more

Cherry Creek Reservoir - Nice hot day on the "lake" but if you're just checking it out you might want to bring food because you'll be out of luck - Lakes Near Me - Aurora, Colorado

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I've loved this place but unfortunately today will not have me coming back. The first thing when I got out of my car and walked to the lake, my dog got attacked by a tiny black dog that was off-leash, the park ranger said nothing so we walked to a secluded area. My puppy and boxer were about 4 feet in the water just playing and the ranger came up to me and said they needed to leave or be leashed and tied to a tree. I've been coming here for years with them, so it's a little confusing why i was asked to leave the area. My dogs love swimming and I understand the leash aspect, but they aren't allowed in water? I saw a golden retriever unleashed and running in the water right next to me, but the ranger just walked away and didn't say a word to them. My boxer is the sweetest boy and i'm frustrated that he was discriminated against because of his breed. The area has always been welcome with my dogs, but today after seeing dozens of dogs and me being the only one lectured just hurt my feelings. If they can't swim or can't even be near the lake, then what's the point of going? Because he was supposedly gonna "contaminate" the water even though the waters already in bad shape. What about the boat oil? Or the bird poop? Or all the algae? I will not be coming back read more

Awesome place to take your dog swimming and relax on the beach in the shade or sun. Just perfect!! Wonderful place to spend a hot summer afternoon with my non-stop, insane, swimming doggie. read more

So, you wait like 2 hours to get to the pay counter and once they take your money and you have not made a reservation they have a 'waiting period' of 5 minutes and if i were you i would just go to somewhere else thats not this place. Cuaze it SUCKS read more

I like the fact that I have access to a lake right in the middle of town. And as another yelper posted, it's a nice getaway from the everyday run. I enjoy the water here and it is ok to fish. Now the only issue I have is that it is one of the most dirtiest lakes on Colorado. I'm sure that has a lot to do with being in the heart of aurora. But still kinda a drag. But if you wanna play in the water and not go to far from home this is good for that read more

The fake beach of Colorado. It's actually pretty good if you just want to lie on the sand and enjoy the sun. I didn't actually go into the water. This place is very easy to find, parking for a day is $9 and the beach is very close to the lot. They allow food and drinks as long as it's not in a glass bottle. The sand is pretty soft and clean for the most part. I came on a Friday during July and it wasn't crowded at all. It sprinkled sporadically but everything was perfect nevertheless. Obviously, you can't compare this to a real beach but for being in Colorado, this is pretty damn good. =) read more

Great place to relax and swim but 7 jet-skis and three power boats that keep racing around make me feel like I'm at NASCAR. It's loud! I don't get it. why do we let 10-12 people ruin it for the 250 rest of us. Are you listening Colorado state parks. Ban the jet skis at least. At most you'll make 30 people angry and 10 times as many people will applaud and say about time! read more

Again, a great place to come for an adventure. biking, jogging, WINDSURFING. etc. You will get fit and then you can cool off.

We have been visiting Cherry Creek Reservoir almost every weekend this spring/summer. Easy to launch the boat, and lots of places on land for kids to play, cook out, and enjoy family time. Purchased the annual pass, which makes entry smooth. Note: the gas station at the marina closes at 7 pm. Have not used the marina yet, but understand they have music and event space several evenings each week (Thursdays & Fridays?). Excellent location for a fun day on the water. If you bring your watercraft from another reservoir, you must undergo a short cleaning process to remove any foreign water cooties. :=) read more

Right across the street from my house and a nice little get away from the city. Fun to go out on a boat, ride a bike, have a picnic and catch some sun. Not the cleanest water, but it's water. read more