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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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.
Activities
- Biking
- Birding
- Boating
- Camping
- Education Programs
- Fishing
- Geocaching
- Group Camping
- Hiking
- Hunting
- Ice Fishing
- Ice Skating
- Jet Skiing
- Paddleboarding
- 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, bluegill, 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!
Lakeview 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
Feb
21
Friends of Highline Lake Monthly Meeting
Saturday, Feb 21
Highline Lake State Park
Join the Friends of Highline Lake State Park for their monthly meeting.
Feb
21
Friends of Highline Lake Monthly Meeting
Saturday, Feb 21
Highline Lake State Park
Join the Friends of Highline Lake State Park for their monthly meeting.
Feb
21
Friends of Highline Lake Monthly Meeting
Saturday, Feb 21
Highline Lake State Park
Join the Friends of Highline Lake State Park for their monthly meeting.
Feb
21
Friends of Highline Lake Monthly Meeting
Saturday, Feb 21
Highline Lake State Park
Join the Friends of Highline Lake State Park for their monthly meeting.
Hiking and Biking
Trails
Over nine miles of trail allow visitors to explore the desert landscape. The main trail, the Highline Lake Trail, loops 3.5 miles to provide excellent wildlife watching opportunities The other trails are single-track but accommodate hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. Highline Lake State Park serves as a great starting point to world-class mountain bike routes on nearby Bureau of Land Management property.
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.
For statewide and watching wildlife safely information, see the Nature and Wildlife Viewing page.
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.
Highline Nature & WildlifeBirding
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.
Safety during Hunting Season
Most of Colorado's outdoors is multi-use and intended to be shared. Hunters and nonhunters should show respect and courtesy to all users engaged in outdoor recreation.
- Learn where and when hunting is taking place. Stay out of designated hunt areas.
- Stay on designated trails. Enjoying activities only on designated trails will reduce the likelihood of entering designated hunt areas.
- Make yourself easily visible by wearing bright clothing. Choose colors that stand out, like bright, fluorescent red, orange or green.
- For protection, it is recommended to keep your dog on a leash. Tie a brightly-colored bandana around your dog’s neck or purchase a blaze orange dog vest to make your dog more visible.
- Make noise. Alert hunters to your presence by whistling, singing or carrying on a conversation as you walk.
- If you hear shooting, raise your voice and let hunters know you are in the vicinity.
- Be courteous. Once a hunter is aware of your presence, don’t make unnecessary noise that disturbs wildlife. Avoid conflict. Please note it is illegal to intentionally interfere with hunters.
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 season follows posted season dates, however hunting in Highline Lake State park is prohibited until the Tuesday following Labor Day annually. Small game hunting is only permitted Monday through Friday.
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 are not required for small game hunting but hunters are required to fill out a Hunter Registration Card, located near the West Entrance Station, and record harvest information when hunting is complete.
Seasons
The waterfowl season follows posted season dates. Highline Lake State Park is located in the Western Pacific Flyway. Hunting is only permitted Monday through Friday, with the exception of Youth, Veteran, & Active Military Weekend.
Waterfowl Blinds
There are seven designated waterfowl blinds available for hunting at the north end of Highline Lake. Hunting outside of the blinds is prohibited.
Reservations
Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online or by phone. All hunters, regardless of reservation, are required to fill out a Hunter Registration Card, located near the West Entrance Station, and record harvest information when hunting is complete. Registration cards must be posted prior to heading to the waterfowl blinds.