Best Denver Area Paddle Boarding (SUP) Lakes

Paddle boarding has quickly become one of the most popular water sports in Colorado, thanks to the state’s beautiful lakes. The areas around Denver and Boulder are teeming with spots for stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), many with beautiful mountain views. Here is our guide to the 15 best lakes within an hour of Denver offering paddle boarding experiences for all skill levels.

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Lakes by Driving Time from Denver

This list of lakes is sorted by driving time from the center of Denver (per Google Maps).

Top Lake Recommendations

We’ve leveraged our years of paddle boarding, rowing, and swimming in many of these lakes to come up with our top lakes recommendations. These opinions are purely our own. Some of our main criteria to determine these top lakes are:

• Motorboat free or has areas where you can easily avoid boat wake
• Ranks well for water quality
• An added bonus is a swim beach and/or options for open water swimming

There are some big name lakes missing on our favorites list, namely Cherry Creek and Boulder Reservoirs. They are both beautiful spots for any water sports. The motor boat wakes are hard to avoid though, which is why we didn’t include them in our favorites. Boulder Reservoir does have wake free hours, though they are quite limited. Sloan’s Lake is also often top ranked, but was left off our favorites due to the water quality concerns. These opinions are purely our own.

Paddle Boarding Safety Tips

Here are essential safety tips to keep in mind before you go paddle boarding on Denver area lakes:

1. Wear a Life Jacket: Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. It can save your life in case of an unexpected fall into the water, even if you are a strong swimmer. Consider a low-profile jacket such as the Astral YTV. Most lakes require you to wear a life jacket and carry a whistle in case of emergency.
2. Check the Weather: Before heading out, check the weather conditions. Colorado’s weather can change rapidly. It’s crucial to avoid paddle boarding during high winds, thunderstorms, or when there are white caps on the water.
3. Use a Leash: A board leash keeps your paddle board attached to you at all times. This is particularly important in Colorado, where winds can suddenly push your board away from you if you fall off.
4. Know Your Limits: Be aware of your physical limits and skill level. Start in calm, shallow waters if you’re a beginner and avoid areas with heavy boat traffic or strong currents.
5. Plan Your Route: Inform someone about your planned route and expected return time. Stick to areas that are well-known and appropriate for your skill level.
6. Bring Along a Phone: waterproof cases with a lanyard are an inexpensive and easy way to carry your phone. Be sure to add the lake patrol’s phone number before heading out.
7. Protect Against the Sun: At higher altitudes, the sun’s effects are more intense. Wear sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and UV-protective clothing to guard against sunburn and overexposure.
8. Hydration and Snacks: Bring along water and some snacks.

1. Smith Lake Washington Park

Smith Lake is a convenient city lake, easy for a quick outing after work or over a lunch break. In addition to paddle boards, you can rent kayaks, paddle boats, and bikes.

2. and 3. Rocky Mountain Lake and Berkeley Lake

Rocky Mountain Lake and Berkeley Lake are just down the street from each other, so they are included here together. If you have your own SUP, or rent one and bring it along, these are nice lakes for a short paddle close to town. Though the views are decent, they are both very close to I-70, and you hear the traffic while on the lake.

4. City Park’s Finlin Lake

Finlin Lake in City Park is conveniently located if you’d like to combine this with a visit to the Denver Zoo, Denver Botanic Gardens, or the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. On a clear day, there are nice mountain views to the west. Paddling here definitely feels like you are in the heart of the city, but it is still peaceful. Wheel Fun also rents swan boats, kayaks, and bikes.

5. Sloan’s Lake

Sloan’s Lake is conveniently located in northwest Denver, and on a clear day, has great views of the city skyline. It is very popular with paddlers. Denver Paddleboards will deliver rentals onsite with at least 1 day’s advanced notice. Sloan’s Lake has known water quality issues, both due to pollution from run-off, and from algae issues. Swimming is not allowed, and is also highly discouraged.

6. Bear Creek (Big Soda Lake)

Located in Lakewood, Big Soda Lake at Bear Creek is ideal for family outings. There are nice shady spots along the lake to setup for the day. The lake also has a swim beach and concessions during the summer season. In addition to the views of Red Rocks Park, the park has camping, hiking, biking, fishing, an archery range, and waterski and wakeboard lessons (in Little Soda Lake).

Bear Creek Lake Park is very close to Red Rocks Park. It is very easy to combine a morning of hiking at Red Rocks with an afternoon at the lake, or vice versa.

7. Cherry Creek State Park

Cherry Creek is a beautiful and large, close-in lake with a wide variety of activities. These include an archery range, a model airplane area, biking or hiking on the roads or trails, fishing, water skiing, birding, and more. This is a very popular summer waterski and jet ski spot, meaning that there is quite a bit of wake. If you visit on an uncrowded day or early in the morning, you can enjoy a 5 km paddle around the lake with beautiful city and mountain views.

8. and 9. Chatfield State Park

Chatfield State Park, just a short drive south of Denver, is a favorite of many for water sports, including kayaking, paddle boarding, open water swimming, and boating. There are 2 lakes at Chatfield for paddle boarding:: the main reservoir and the Chatfield gravel pond. In addition to the lakes, biking is very popular, in addition to hiking, horseback riding, water sports, and even a dog park.

Chatfield Gravel Pond

The gravel pond sits just south of the main reservoir. Though it’s smaller than the reservoir, no motorized boating is allowed, which makes for a peaceful and relaxing paddle. You will be sharing the gravel ponds with open water swimmers, but swimmers and paddle boarders seem to get along quite well from what we’ve experienced. If you’re interested in the swimming as well, there is a 1/2 mile (800 m) course from the north to south end of the gravel pond (1 mile / roughly 1600 m roundtrip).

Chatfield Reservoir

Unliked Chatfield’s Gravel Pond, the reservoir does allow for motorized boating. While that can put a damper on paddlers, there are numerous areas on the reservoir that are wake free. If you launch from the Kingfisher lot on the south end of the reservoir, you can paddle in and amongst the trees that have been flooded with increasing water levels. While this may sound tricky, the trees are spread out so that this is quite relaxing (and you’ll find nice bird watching here). You can also continue through to the river that goes south (parallel to the Gravel Pond).

Bring your own paddle board or kayak, or rent on site through Colorado Watersports. They also rent kayaks, canoes, and sailboats (with skills test). You can rent paddle boards both from Roxborough Bay and the swim beach.

10. Standley Lake

Standley Lake boasts expansive waters that cater to all levels of paddle boarders. The lake is motorboat free. You will find one ranger boat periodically traversing the waters and occasional electric boats. The west side of the lake is a wonderful spot to do some birding while you are paddling. This is some of the nicest and calmest water to paddle on in the Denver area.

Camping is also available in the park, as well as walking trails, educational programs, and fishing. If you’re interested in trying out rowing, the City of Westminster offers Oarboard rentals and lessons. This is a great way for first timers to try out the rowing experience.

A few notes on paddling at Standley:

• The lake is only open to boats May 1-September 30.
• If you bring your own boat, you must go through the spray station each time you enter the park. This is an easy process but something to be aware of.

11. Evergreen Lake

Evergreen Lake is a beautiful mountain lake just a short drive from Denver. This is a very peaceful spot with gorgeous views. Elk or deer frequently pass by the lake. You could easily combine a day at the lake with a drive up Mount Blue Sky. There are hiking trails and a golf course within the same park (Dedisse Park). While the golf course has a restaurant, we’d recommend heading into the downtown area of Evergreen for a bit to eat or ice cream after paddling.

There is free lake side parking available, though it can fill up on hot summer days. When it’s full, the town runs a shuttle from the overflow parking areas. If you bring your own boat, you will need to pay a personal SUP use fee and they will inspect your boat before entry.

12. Aurora Reservoir

Recognized for its pristine conditions and quiet surroundings, Aurora Reservoir is one of the best spots for paddle boarding near Denver. Its crystal-clear waters are inviting for a paddle or a day at the beach.

Aurora has one of the nicest beaches around Denver. In addition to a roped off swim area, there is a 150 yard swim course set just outside of the main swim area. On the northeast side of the lake, there is also an unsupervised 400-500 meter open water swim course set. You’ll frequently see scuba classes and triathlon training groups heading out from the northeast side.

13. Boulder Reservoir

Boulder is one of the top day trips from Denver. Just a short drive from downtown Boulder, Boulder Reservoir is a hotspot for water sports. It’s got a large body of water to paddle and has spectacular mountain views. If you’d like to combine a day of paddling with time at the swim beach, this may be a great option for you. The only reason it isn’t ranked as one of our top SUP spots around Denver is the motorboat wake. Keep in mind that the City of Boulder does offer a few no wake times each week. These are ideal times to go paddling, weather permitting. During the summer 2024, these are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings from 6 am – 10 and Thursday afternoons 4 pm – 8 pm. Check the website for no wake hours, as this varies by season.

14. Union Reservoir

Union Reservoir is a hidden gem for paddle board enthusiasts, with its calm waters and scenic views. It is a bit more of a drive from Denver but in our opinion, is worth the extra time. In addition to paddle sports, you’ll find a swim beach, scheduled open water swim sessions, sailing, fishing and plenty of rowers on the lake. The lake is nearly wake free.

There are plenty of shady picnic tables along the water. Bring your dog along for some paddling and a stop at the dog beach afterwards.

15. McIntosh Lake

McIntosh Lake offers stunning mountain views of Long’s Peak and gentle waters perfect for paddle boarding. There are no motorized boats allowed in this residential lake. Other activities around the lake include a walking trail and fishing, tennis courts, and playgrounds.

The northwest side of the lake is buoyed off as a wildlife area. You’re likely to see plenty of birds when paddling just outside this area. Though this is the furthest of these lakes for paddle boarding, this is definitely one of the best Denver area lakes for paddle boarding.

Denver Paddle Boarding Wrap Up

The Denver area has a plentiful selection of lakes that are incredible for paddle boarding. If you’d like to go a bit further and explore beyond these 15 best Denver lakes for paddle boarding, you’ll find even more amazing lakes like Gross Reservoir, Lake Dillon, and Grand Lake. Happy Paddling!

Where to Stay in and around Denver

Deciding where you’d like to stay in Denver will depend heavily on which parts of the city you want to explore. Included are places to stay in Denver and also in surrounding areas such as Boulder and Golden. These choices are convenient to a number of the lakes we’ve listed and to the bigger sights in the city.

Search for additional Denver lodging options below:

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