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    Aurora Reservoir

    3.6 (64 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Aurora Reservoir Photos

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    A beautiful day relaxing
    Greg M.

    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!

    Christian B.

    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.

    Patricia G.

    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.

    Rowena B.

    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.

    Such a beautiful day for bike riding
    Dell K.

    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.

    Awesome little outdoor archery!  Totally cool, beautiful sites and peaceful. Haystacks for targets so best to bring your own
    Angelique F.

    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.

    Jay P.

    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!

    Adriana V.

    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!

    Lots of grassy area
    Nina O.

    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.

    Entrance
    Jerome L.

    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!

    Good old Memorial Day lines. Still, I love this place so it's worth it.

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    7 months ago

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    2 years ago

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

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    4 years ago

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

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    Review Highlights - Aurora Reservoir

    The kids also like the swim beach and the play ground.

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    Mile Hi Rafting - Atv tour !

    Mile Hi Rafting

    4.2(138 reviews)
    52.0 mi

    Great adventure, beautiful views, and incredibly helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable staff. You'll…read moredefinitely feel well taken care of. Definitely would recommend swimwear or synthetic (not cotton) clothes and a change of dry clothes after like they mention! Too bad I forgot to read the email details ‍.I hope they send text message reminders about these details as well, it's easier to check texts rather than email on vacation. We went on the intermediate route which was a ton of fun. On this route they also gave the option of trying out some more rougher class 4s which were the most exciting parts. Would definitely recommend the intermediate route if you're looking for something more exciting! It was not nearly as difficult or stamina depleting as I expected. I believe the beginners route is more of a nice scenic cruise more than anything. 10/10 worth coming here P.S. Chris got mad jokes give this man a bonus lol!

    I had a great time in this tour! I accidentally signed up on the wrong day so i showed up and they…read morecouldn't find my reservation. They were awesome to work with me and find a guide to take us out anyway. Jason was amazing. He was a patient teacher while I got used to driving an ATV and he was a knowledgeable guide who taught us a lot about the mountains and the area. We did the two hour tour which was the perfect about of time to really go up the mountain. Any shorter and we wouldn't have gotten to see much. Any longer and my hands would have been in too much pain from gripping the throttle. I did end up with a slight blister on my palm that really only hurt in the last 15 min. I recommend that you bring gloves since they don't provide. You can't go wrong with this tour. Lots of fun!

    Photos
    Mile Hi Rafting - Great day with Mile Hi !!!

    Great day with Mile Hi !!!

    Mile Hi Rafting - Great birthday trip - July 24th, 2020 - Jen Petersen family

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    Mile Hi Rafting - Two hour ride picture on the way back.

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    Two hour ride picture on the way back.

    5280 Paddle Sports

    5280 Paddle Sports

    4.4(30 reviews)
    22.7 mi

    So, if you are looking for a spot that has a lot of trees / greenery / etc. the location we went to…read morewill not be the spot for you (Chatfield Reservoir). That said, if you are a beginning kayaker and just want to get some experience, this is a great place to go. If you are timid around water, not sure if you will like the sport, or someone who just generally likes to try new things, be outdoors, etc. - do it! We were in town from Arizona and the water was pretty choppy (dude said winds were ~10 mph... I think they were closer to 15 mph...) I am not in love with sit on top kayaks and I don't particularly love chop. Moving water? Fine. Rocking back and forth? Ehhhh. We only paddled for about 30-40 minutes because it was so windy. We paddled against the wind to get our bearings, floated/paddled to the other end with the wind, and then worked our arms off paddling back. My husband doesn't really enjoy that type of work out (ha!) so he got out and pulled his 'yak for a bit. I was more determined and paddled the whole way. It's a very chill area (or was in May) but if you wanted to bring a group of folks to paddle and sunbathe and eat some snacks on the shore (which apparently happens in the summer) you'll have a blast. We prefer barren, inclimate weather (seriously) so it was a perfect day for us.

    Expensive, when I booked in 2019 etc it was $20 for 2 hours, now they charge $25 for just 1 hour…read more Inflation sucks

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    5280 Paddle Sports
    5280 Paddle Sports
    5280 Paddle Sports

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    Aurora Reservoir - boating - Updated May 2026

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