Barr Lake State Park closing boat ramps Friday for 2026 season
Kara Van Hoose
July 9, 2026
Barr Lake State Park closing boat ramps Friday for 2026 season
BRIGHTON, Colo. — Due to low reservoir levels, Barr Lake State Park will close the boat ramp on Friday, July 10 at 9 p.m. through the rest of the 2026 boating season. While the park started the season close to full capacity, the depleted snowpack run-off and drawing down by water rights holders have decreased reservoir levels to the point where boats will be unable to launch from the boat ramp. The boat ramps typically close in fall.
Hand-launched vessels, like kayaks and paddleboards, will still be allowed. Wade or swimming is not permitted at Barr Lake. Park officials are evaluating options for ranger boats and water rescue crafts. Visitors should expect extended response times to water rescues and recreate at their own risk.
Aquatic nuisance species (ANS) inspections and decontaminations will continue to be available after the ramp closes by contacting the ranger phone number, (720) 520-1876, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The 1,950-acre reservoir at Barr Lake State Park is fed by the South Platte River and its snowpack run-off. The water rights are owned by the Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO) and allocated for irrigation purposes.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.
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