Highline Lake State Park
State Park in Loma, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visitor Center: Daily, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
1800 11.8 Road
Loma, CO 81524
United States
Highline Lake State Park
State Park in Loma, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visitor Center: Daily, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
1800 11.8 Road
Loma, CO 81524
United States
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Lake Closed for Zebra Mussel Treatment -
Highline Lake is closed to all motorized (includes electric motors) boating but is still open to hand-launched, human-powered vessels. Highline Lake is open to fishing as a salvage operation: all limits and size restrictions are lifted. A valid fishing license is still required. All limits and size restrictions still apply to Mack Mesa Lake.
Activities and Trails
What to Do at Highline Lake
Nestled in the desert, Highline Lake is Grand Valley's recreation hub with two lakes offering motorized boating, waterskiing and jet skiing opportunities. Visitors often use the park as a base camp for mountain biking and river-rafting adventures. The park is also an important bird area, with thousands of migrating birds passing through every winter. Motorized boating is closed on Highline Lake during 2024.
- Biking
- Birding
- Boating
- Camping
- Education Programs
- Fishing
- Geocaching
- Group Camping
- Hiking
- Hunting
- Ice Fishing
- Ice Skating
- Jet Skiing
- Paddle Boarding
- Playground
- Picnicking
- Sailboarding
- Swimming
- Volleyball
- Water Skiing
- Wildlife Viewing
Best of Highline Lake
Trails
Trails and loops circle Highline Lake and Mack Mesa Lake. Wander through a wetland area below the dam rich with wildlife and birds, and traverse through the unimproved north end of the park.
Fishing
There are two lakes to fish, Mack Mesa Lake and Highline Lake. Anglers can enjoy the warmwater fishing opportunities, which include largemouth bass, black crappie, black bullhead, channel catfish and trout.
Picnicking
There are 44 family picnic sites with tables and grills throughout the park that are available year-round and close to both Mack Mesa and Highline Lake. Some sites are in grassy areas with mature shade trees and others are cabanas near sand, just perfect for building castles!
Lake View Swim Beach
The swim beach is a great way to beat the summer heat. Located near several picnic areas with grills and tables, the area is perfect for families looking to enjoy a day at the lake. The swim beach is open from the second weekend of May through the end of September.
Upcoming Events
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Trails
Mack Mesa S Trail
0.6 miles
Easily guaranteed to be one of the most fun trails in the park, the Mack Mesa S Trail is full of windy downhill turns. Enjoy the views of the Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa, and even the Bookcliffs in Colorado AND Utah.
Blue Heron Marsh Trail
0.6 miles
This loop offers the best tour of riparian habitat around the lake. The trail is flat except for beginning and end when returning to the top of the dam. Wildlife commonly seen here include mule deer, racoons, red foxes and even bobcats.
Mack Mesa S Trail
0.6 miles
Easily guaranteed to be one of the most fun trails in the park, the Mack Mesa S Trail is full of windy downhill turns. Enjoy the views of the Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa, and even the Bookcliffs in Colorado AND Utah.
Blue Heron Marsh Trail
0.6 miles
This loop offers the best tour of riparian habitat around the lake. The trail is flat except for beginning and end when returning to the top of the dam. Wildlife commonly seen here include mule deer, racoons, red foxes and even bobcats.
Greasewood Flats Loop
1.1 miles
Hiking, biking
Enjoy the sage and cedar smells on this easy loop. As one of the farthest trails from the swim beach, birds and other wildlife are easily seen.
Mack Mesa Loop
1.2 miles
Hiking, biking
Looking down from one of the highest points in the park, hikers and bikers can see nearly the entire park. Couple this trail with the Mack Mesa S Trail for a full loop of birdwatching opportunities.
East Bluffs Loop
1.1 miles
Take a tour of Highline's east inlets with this narrow singletrack. This loop provides the only access, other than boat, to the cabanas along the east side of the lake, including a pebble beach. There are some steep sections to this trail, so please use caution.
Greasewood Flats Loop
1.1 miles
Hiking, biking
Enjoy the sage and cedar smells on this easy loop. As one of the farthest trails from the swim beach, birds and other wildlife are easily seen.
Mack Mesa Loop
1.2 miles
Hiking, biking
Looking down from one of the highest points in the park, hikers and bikers can see nearly the entire park. Couple this trail with the Mack Mesa S Trail for a full loop of birdwatching opportunities.
East Bluffs Loop
1.1 miles
Take a tour of Highline's east inlets with this narrow singletrack. This loop provides the only access, other than boat, to the cabanas along the east side of the lake, including a pebble beach. There are some steep sections to this trail, so please use caution.
Highline Lake Trail
3.3 miles
Hiking, biking
This trail features excellent shore bird and mule deer viewing opportunities. Acting as the main trail to hike around the lake, several trails come off of Highline Lake Trail to add length and complexity to your ride or hike.
Engle Loop
Engle Loop adds approximately .9 miles to the 18 Hour Trail, bringing the trail's total length to 6.42 miles.
Highline Lake Trail
3.3 miles
Hiking, biking
This trail features excellent shore bird and mule deer viewing opportunities. Acting as the main trail to hike around the lake, several trails come off of Highline Lake Trail to add length and complexity to your ride or hike.
Engle Loop
Engle Loop adds approximately .9 miles to the 18 Hour Trail, bringing the trail's total length to 6.42 miles.
Nature Viewing
Highline Lake offers visitors wildlife viewing and birding opportunities. Many visitors come to the park to observe the diverse range of bird species that call it home. Wildlife enthusiasts also often spot other animals while exploring the park's scenic trails.
Wildlife Viewing
Wildlife and waterfowl are abundant year-round at Highline Lake, and there are Watchable Wildlife Kiosks at either side of Highline Lake. These accessible shelters contain viewing scopes for those up-close shots! There are also several wildlife interpretive displays in the Visitor Center alongside beautiful paintings and carvings of birds seen in the park, generously created and donated to Highline Lake by volunteers.
Birding
Highline Lake State Park has been named an Important Birding Area by the National Audubon Society. Over 200 species of birds have been observed here, including the vermilion flycatcher (which is extremely rare in Western Colorado), snow geese, white swans, pelicans, blue herons, osprey, bald and golden eagles, owls, sandhill cranes, loons, loggerhead shrike and Cooper's hawks.
Waterfowl and Small Game
Hunting
Highline Lake offers small-game and waterfowl hunting Monday through Friday during legal seasons in designated hunting zones.
Seasons
The small game hunting season usually begins at Highline Lake in September and ends in February.
Hunting Boundaries
Small-game hunting is permitted in the area bounded by the north and east state park boundary line, north of the Highline Lake no-wake buoy line and east of Mack Mesa Lake.
Reservations
Reservations made online or by phone are required to hunt at Highline Lake. Small-game hunters must fill out a small-game hunting card at the west gate before going out to hunt.
Seasons
Waterfowl hunting season usually begins each September and ends in January of the following year.
Duck Blinds
There are seven duck blinds available for waterfowl hunting at the north end of Highline Lake. All waterfowl hunting must be done from one of the blinds.
Reservations
Reservations made online or by phone are required to hunt. The day before hunting, hunters must either make a reservation online or by phone for a blind, or register by filling out a hunting card at the west gate for an available blind. Hunters with reservations need to fill out a hunting card when they arrive to claim their blind.
Youth
One weekend each fall is set aside for youth to experience waterfowl hunting. This designated weekend is the only weekend during the year when waterfowl hunting is allowed at Highline Lake. All youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting mentor.