Barr Lake State Park

State Park in Brighton, CO

Hours:

Park:  Daily 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Nature Center: Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Monday)

Entrance Fees:

  • Daily Vehicle Pass: $​10
  • Individual Daily Pass: $4

Animals Permitted:

  • Leashed Dogs
  • Service Animals
  • Horses

Park Address:

13401 Picadilly Road
Brighton, CO 80603
United States

Contact:

303-659-6005

[email protected]

An easy 1.3-mile walk from the Nature Center brings you to the Gazebo Boardwalk, where you can get an excellent view of the rookery using a spotting scope.

Barr Lake State Park

State Park in Brighton, CO

An easy 1.3-mile walk from the Nature Center brings you to the Gazebo Boardwalk, where you can get an excellent view of the rookery using a spotting scope.

Hours:

Park:  Daily 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Nature Center: Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Monday)

Entrance Fees:

  • Daily Vehicle Pass: $​10
  • Individual Daily Pass: $4

Animals Permitted:

  • Leashed Dogs
  • Service Animals
  • Horses

Park Address:

13401 Picadilly Road
Brighton, CO 80603
United States

Contact:

303-659-6005

[email protected]

Navigate to:

Person in an orange kayak on Barr Lake

Person in an orange kayak on Barr Lake

About this park

Welcome to Barr Lake State Park

Barr Lake State Park provides a sanctuary for both wildlife and people. A reservoir that covers more than 1,950 acres is the heart of this 2,715-acre park. The lake is surrounded by cottonwoods and marshes and is home to aquatic plants. Its southern half has been chosen as a wildlife refuge to shelter animals and a greater variety and number of birds than anywhere else in Colorado. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Just a short drive northeast of the Denver area, Barr Lake State Park has something for every type of outdoors person, from the fishing enthusiast and boater to the naturalist.

2,715

acres

371+

species of birds

60

picnic sites

21

miles of trails

Accessing the Park

    From Denver
    Take I-76 northeast and then exit 22 to Bromley Lane. Go east to Piccadilly Road, then south to the park entrance.

    From E-470
    From E-470 exit 34, 120th Ave, go east to Tower Rd. Turn left onto Tower Rd. and follow the pavement to Piccadilly Rd. Make a left on Piccadilly. The park entrance is about a mile ahead on the left.

      The Barr Lake Visitor and Nat​​ur​e Center​ is located near the south parking lot.

      Hours:
      Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
      Closed Monday

      The boat ramp is located on the east side of the lake and accessed through the main entrance.

      Water levels are dropping quickly at Barr Lake. The boat ramp will be CLOSING no later than Sunday 8-24-2025.  

      The lake and boat ramp are CLOSED for the season due to low water levels. Any type of boating, including kayaks and canoes, is prohibited.  

      Fees and Passes

      Daily Vehicle Pass

      Single vehicle and its occupants

      1 Day

      $10-$12

      Individual Daily Pass

      For individual entry on foot, bicycle, horseback, etc at select parks

      1 Day

      $4

      Keep Colorado Wild Pass

      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

      Nature and Wildlife

      Barr Lake State Park offers the nature enthusiast a remarkable opportunity to observe all types of wildlife.

      Be on the Lookout for Birds

      Can you spot all 371 bird species? Download the Bird List Brochure (PDF).

        Birds You Might Find

        • Blackbird
        • Longspur
        • Pheasant
        • Sparrow
        • Tanager
        Sparrow

        Mammals You Might Find

        • Deer
        • Elk
        • Coyote
        • Red Fox
        Deer standing in tall grass

        Reptiles and Amphibians You Might Find

        • Prairie Rattlesnake
        • Western Hognose
        • Snapping Turtle
        • Six Lined Racerunner
        Six-lined racerunner

        Geology at This Park

        Barr Lake is a great place to view the Rocky Mountains rising from the plains much as early settlers did when they first arrived in the area. Historically, Barr Lake was a bison wallow — a deflation basin created by strong prairie winds. Native vegetation like sand dropseed and sand sage speak of our sandy soil, comprising Pleistocene, recent alluvium, and sand blown from the South Platte River Basin.

        Boat floating in water with a mountain landscape in the background

        Habitats and Plants at This Park

        While much of the prairie at Barr Lake is a mix of drought-tolerant exotic species, prairie restoration efforts have returned some natives to the area. Observe a native mixed grass prairie "lawn" at the Nature Center. Buffalo grass, side-oats grama and blue grama create a delightfully beautiful (and low-maintenance) lawn full of color and interest. Other prairie restoration efforts around the lake have created stands of native little and big bluestem grasses.

        Barr Lake State Park welcome sign

        Upcoming Events

        Images for the 2025 officer recruitment campaign

        Sep

        11

        Hiring Webinar: Become a CPW Officer

        Thursday, Sep 11

        Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

        To help applicants with the hiring process, Colorado Parks and Wildlife hosts a virtual Hiring Q&A Webinar. During the webinar...

        Images for the 2025 officer recruitment campaign

        Sep

        11

        Registration Required:

        Event participants must register

        Hiring Webinar: Become a CPW Officer

        Thursday, Sep 11

        Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

        To help applicants with the hiring process, Colorado Parks and Wildlife hosts a virtual Hiring Q&A Webinar. During the webinar...

        Kids making crafts at state park event

        Sep

        25

        Toddler Story Time

        Thursday, Sep 25

        Barr Lake State Park

        Join us at Barr Lake's Nature Center for a story time program, including a craft, activity, and a snack! Each month will feature...

        Kids making crafts at state park event

        Sep

        25

        Registration Required:

        Event participants must register

        Toddler Story Time

        Thursday, Sep 25

        Barr Lake State Park

        Join us at Barr Lake's Nature Center for a story time program, including a craft, activity, and a snack! Each month will feature...

        Sep

        27

        Barr Lake National Public Lands Day

        Saturday, Sep 27

        Barr Lake State Park

        Celebrate Public Lands Day and help us clean the Wild Life Refuge at Barr Lake.

        Sep

        27

        Registration Required:

        Event participants must register

        Barr Lake National Public Lands Day

        Saturday, Sep 27

        Barr Lake State Park

        Celebrate Public Lands Day and help us clean the Wild Life Refuge at Barr Lake.

        Images for the 2025 officer recruitment campaign

        Sep

        11

        Hiring Webinar: Become a CPW Officer

        Thursday, Sep 11

        Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

        To help applicants with the hiring process, Colorado Parks and Wildlife hosts a virtual Hiring Q&A Webinar. During the webinar...

        Images for the 2025 officer recruitment campaign

        Sep

        11

        Registration Required:

        Event participants must register

        Hiring Webinar: Become a CPW Officer

        Thursday, Sep 11

        Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

        To help applicants with the hiring process, Colorado Parks and Wildlife hosts a virtual Hiring Q&A Webinar. During the webinar...

        Kids making crafts at state park event

        Sep

        25

        Toddler Story Time

        Thursday, Sep 25

        Barr Lake State Park

        Join us at Barr Lake's Nature Center for a story time program, including a craft, activity, and a snack! Each month will feature...

        Kids making crafts at state park event

        Sep

        25

        Registration Required:

        Event participants must register

        Toddler Story Time

        Thursday, Sep 25

        Barr Lake State Park

        Join us at Barr Lake's Nature Center for a story time program, including a craft, activity, and a snack! Each month will feature...

        Sep

        27

        Barr Lake National Public Lands Day

        Saturday, Sep 27

        Barr Lake State Park

        Celebrate Public Lands Day and help us clean the Wild Life Refuge at Barr Lake.

        Sep

        27

        Registration Required:

        Event participants must register

        Barr Lake National Public Lands Day

        Saturday, Sep 27

        Barr Lake State Park

        Celebrate Public Lands Day and help us clean the Wild Life Refuge at Barr Lake.

        History

        Barr Lake is named for one of the civil engineers who worked on the railroad in the area.

        More than 150 years ago, the Barr Lake area was a bison wallow where bison, wolves and elk gathered, taking advantage of available water. Nearby, pronghorn antelope roamed the fertile mixed-grass prairie. All this wildlife brought Native American tribes like the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Ute to the area. They would come here at different times of the year to hunt and find food.

        • 1860s: Cowboys and Spanish steers move to the Barr Lake area. The wallow is an important rest stop on the way from Texas to Wyoming on the Goodnight-Loving Trail.
        • 1883: The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroads complete a link between Denver and Chicago that passes right by the Barr Lake area. Suddenly, this prairie oasis is ripe for settlement — if only there were a reliable source of water. 
        • 1886: Construction begins on the Burlington Canal, a reliable water source for settlers. The canal diverts water from the South Platte River into the wallow to create Oasis Reservoir. The grassy landscape next to the reservoir becomes a cottonwood forest, creating an important refuge for wildlife. 
        • 1908: The Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company increases the size of Oasis Dam. The new dam combines Oasis Reservoir and the smaller Burlington Reservoir to create what is now known as Barr Lake. With a reliable water source, local sugar-beet farmers are soon producing "more gold than all the miners in the mountains."
        • 1964–1965: Clean water legislation and the flood of ’65 flushes Barr Lake clean after over 70 years of pollution from Denver’s untreated wastewater.
        • 1975: Colorado Parks and Wildlife receives a recreational lease for Barr Lake State Park.
        • 1977: Barr Lake State Park opens to the public.