Memorial Day Office Closure
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices will be closed for the state holiday, Monday, May 25. To honor military members for their service CPW offers active duty military and veteran benefits to enjoy fishing, hunting and state parks.
State Park in Clark, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visitor Center/Office: Sun.-Thurs. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $12-$17
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
Park Address:
61105 RCR 129
Clark, CO 80428
United States
State Park in Clark, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visitor Center/Office: Sun.-Thurs. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $12-$17
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
Park Address:
61105 RCR 129
Clark, CO 80428
United States
An aerial view of part of the park showing off campgrounds and a large section of the lake and surrounding forest
Nestled in the heart of Colorado, Steamboat Lake State Park is a true gem, catering to a diverse range of interests. Majestic Hahns Peak serves as a picturesque backdrop to this top-tier park, where families can enjoy fishing, camping, picnicking, hiking trails and boating. With a full-service marina and a sandy beach, the park also provides excellent amenities for those seeking water adventures.
2,820
acres
196
campsites
25
picnic sites
35.6
miles of trails
From Steamboat Springs
Go west two miles on US 40 to County Road 129 (also called Elk River Road). Turn north and drive 25 miles. The Visitor Center is on the left-hand side of the road.
The Visitor Center is located on the northeast side of Steamboat Lake before Placer Cove Day Use Area and accessible from County Road 129.
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Northwest Boat Ramp and Marina
The boat ramp and Steamboat Lake Marina are located on the northwest corner of the lake and accessed from County Road 62.
NOTE: The Placer Cove Boat Ramp will not be open this year.
The Placer Cove boat ramp is located on the northwest side of the lake, near Placer Cover Day Use Area, accessible from County Road 129.
For more information on Steamboat's boat ramps, including seasonal openings and mandatory boat inspections, see the Park Highlights page. For more statewide boating information visit the CPW Statewide Boating page.
For information on boating, mandatory boat inspections and water related activities, see the Park Highlights page.
For the most up-to-date conditions, including lakes and trails, please call the park at 970-879-3922 or visit the park's social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.
The Wheeler loop in the Dutch Hill Campground at Steamboat Lake is now open for first come first served camping. All other campgrounds, including the Pearl Lake Campground, are still closed for the season. Both Camper services building, and the dump and fill stations are still closed for the season.
For more camping information, see the Know Before You Go > Staying During Winter section on the Camping & Lodging page.
Pass |
Description |
Duration |
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Daily Vehicle Pass |
Single vehicle and its occupants with Colorado license plate |
1 Day |
$10-$12 |
|
Daily Vehicle Pass |
Single vehicle and its occupants with out-of-state license plate |
1 Day |
$15-$17 |
|
Individual Daily Pass |
For individual entry on foot, bicycle, horseback, etc at select parks |
1 Day |
$4 |
|
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for Colorado residents |
12 Months |
$29 |
|
|
Annual Vehicle Pass (Affixed) |
Pass for a single vehicle and its occupants |
12 Months |
$80 |
|
Family Annual Pass (Hang Tag) |
Members of the same household |
12 Months |
$120 |
|
Aspen Leaf Annual Pass |
Colorado residents 64+ |
12 Months |
$70 |
|
Centennial Pass |
Income-eligible Colorado residents |
12 Months |
$14 |
|
Columbine Pass |
Colorado residents with disabilities |
12 Months |
$14 |
|
Veterans License Plate |
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for military veterans (disabled veterans or purple heart plates) |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Independence Lifetime Pass |
Colorado resident veterans with disabilities |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Blue Spruce Pass |
Colorado resident first responders with disabilities |
Lifetime |
$10 |
At Steamboat Lake State Park, you'll find a large reservoir spanning 1,100 acres, nestled at an elevation of 8,000 feet in the Willow Creek Valley of the Park Range. Keep an eye out for familiar creatures like mule deer and red foxes. Black bear, moose and mountain lion sightings are sometimes reported. The park is a haven for birdwatchers, with over 200 species of migratory and resident birds, including northern harriers, ospreys, great blue herons and western screech owls.
Bird, plant and wildlife guides are available at the park book store or on Steamboat State Park's iNaturalist app observations for Android and iPhone. iNaturalist is a free online social network and citizen science platform that allows users to record and share observations of biodiversity. By uploading photos or sounds of wild organisms, you can get help identifying species from a global community of naturalists and even an automated identification tool. Using iNaturalist helps you learn about local nature, connect with other enthusiasts, and most importantly, contribute valuable scientific data to biodiversity research and conservation efforts worldwide.
Be on the Lookout for Birds
Can you spot all the resident and visiting bird species? Download the Bird List Brochure (PDF).
Wildlife at Steamboat Lake.
View a short video and tips on watching wildlife safely and find important information on crossing paths with wildlife.
The park is lacking vital data on amphibian and reptile populations. By logging your reptile and amphibian observations into Steamboat State Park's iNaturalist app, you'll help us collect data that's essential for protecting and preserving the Park's natural resources.
Visitors to Steamboat Lake State Park encounter different layers of rocks and soils that tell a fascinating story about the Earth's history. On the west and north sides, there's a layer of Holocene alluvium, which is essentially loose material like soil and gravel deposited by water that once covered the area. The primary Tertiary formation is Brown's Park Sandstone, a kind of sedimentary rock formed over a long period of time. This rock has layers of silicic ash beds, and it's a bit like nature's historical record, preserving traces of volcanic activity. Along the lake’s north shore is a small section of intrusive silicic porphyry. Intrusive means it was formed underground, and porphyry refers to a type of igneous rock with distinct crystals embedded in a finer matrix.
The major native plant communities at Steamboat Lake include sagebrush shrubland (sagebrush, bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, needlegrass, lupine, mule's ears and prairie junegrass), lodgepole pine forest, northern subalpine forest (Engelmann's spruce and Colorado blue spruce), aspen forest, willow carr wetland, marsh (sedge, rushes and bulrushes) and wet meadow.
Pollinators are important species to maintain native plants and provide biodiversity in Colorado’s landscape. Pollinators ensure the continuation of native plants through their important role in plant populations. In turn, plants are often specifically tied to pollinator species as host plants for young pollinators and by providing food and habitat. Some examples of pollinators are bees, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps and hummingbirds. Additionally, pollinator presence is an indication of habitat health with more numbers and variety of species demonstrating that a habitat is diverse and healthy.
Pollinator species you might find:
Use the Colorado Seed Tool Application to find native plants suitable for your home. Download the app and choose “Pollinator Habitat” for your Management Goals in the menu. Get a list of plants perfect for supporting pollinators in your area.
Jun
6
Jun 6, 2026 · 6:00am - Jun 7, 2026 · 10:00pm
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
Fish for free June 6-7, 2026 and experience why people get hooked on fishing in Colorado.
Jun
6
Jun 6, 2026 · 6:00am - Jun 7, 2026 · 10:00pm
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
Fish for free June 6-7, 2026 and experience why people get hooked on fishing in Colorado.
Jun
6
Jun 6, 2026 · 6:00am - Jun 7, 2026 · 10:00pm
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
Fish for free June 6-7, 2026 and experience why people get hooked on fishing in Colorado.
Jun
6
Jun 6, 2026 · 6:00am - Jun 7, 2026 · 10:00pm
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
Fish for free June 6-7, 2026 and experience why people get hooked on fishing in Colorado.
The Utes used the land that is now Steamboat Lake State Park as seasonal hunting grounds. Routt County Road 129, which leads from Steamboat Springs to Steamboat and Pearl lakes, was once a trail used by Native Americans as they moved across the land, following the seasonal migration paths of the animals they hunted. Because early peoples migrated through the area and did not build settlements, few archeological artifacts have been recovered.
As mining declined in the early 20th century, ranching became a primary industry, first with cattle and later sheep. Grazing rights were contested between cattle and sheep ranchers during the “sheep and cattle wars.” John Kelly Heart and his wife Pearl were sheep ranchers where Pearl Lake now is located. Remaining historical sites include a saw mill site, the Quealy Cabin and the Wheeler Homestead area. Most of the Wheeler homestead was burned and inundated by Steamboat Lake.
