Steamboat Lake State Park
State Park in Clark, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visitor Center/Office: Mon. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, Tues.-Thurs. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $12-$17
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
61105 RCR 129
Clark, CO 80428
United States
Steamboat Lake State Park
State Park in Clark, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visitor Center/Office: Mon. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, Tues.-Thurs. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $12-$17
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
61105 RCR 129
Clark, CO 80428
United States
Routt County Stage 2 Fire Restrictions -
Effective until further notice: Building, maintaining, attending, or using an open fire, campfire, or open flame outdoors is PROHIBITED, including in developed campgrounds & picnic areas. This includes charcoal grills, BBQs, coal & wood-burning stoves. More info: Routt County.
Hiking along a dirt path
Activities and Trails
What to Do at Steamboat Lake
Year-round outdoor fun and stunning mountain scenery await at Steamboat Lake. At 8,100 feet with breathtaking views of Hahns Peak and the Park Range, the park beckons hikers and mountain bikers with over seven miles of trails, connecting to more in the surrounding Routt National Forest. Boaters and swimmers enjoy a full-service marina and swim beach, and winter brings snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Visitors with disabilities can explore designated trails in the park using a Track Chair. See below for more information and to make reservations.
Activities
- Backcountry Camping
- Biking
- Birding
- Boating
- Camping
- Cross-country Skiing
- Education Programs
- Fishing
- Geocaching
- Hiking
- Horseback Riding
- Hunting
- Ice Fishing
- Jet Skiing
- Paddleboarding
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Sailboarding
- Snowmobiling
- Snowshoeing
- Swimming
- Track Chair (all-terrain, battery-powered wheelchair)
- Water Skiing
Best of Steamboat Lake
Steamboat Lake
The park's main attraction is the 1,053-surface-acre lake. Visitors enjoy views of the Continental Divide from the water as they boat, fish, jet ski, paddle board, sail and water ski.
Picnicking
With its diverse array of plant and animal life, blue skies, plenty of brilliant aspen trees in the fall and breathtaking sunsets year-round, our valley is one of the most scenic in Colorado. Picnic tables offering either grills or fire rings are available at the Placer Cove day-use area, Tombstone Nature Trail trailhead, Sage Flats day-use area and the Dutch Hill Marina area.
Paddleboarding
Over a thousand acres of gorgeous waters beckon both beginners and experienced enthusiasts! Rent paddle boards on site from our marina as availability permits.
Swim Beach
The swim area is in the Dutch Hill Campground by the marina parking . The swim beach is located in the Placer Cove Day Use Area and is tested regularly throughout the summer for water quality. Colorado State Park swim beaches do not have lifeguards on duty. Swim at your own risk. Children must be supervised by adults at all times.
Hiking, Biking and Horseback Riding
Trails
Horseback Riding
Horseback riding is allowed in undeveloped areas of the park around the southeast corner of the lake. Guided rides are available from Steamboat Lake Outpost at 970-879-4404.
More Trails
The trails at adjacent Routt National Forest also provide many hiking, mountain biking and four-wheel driving opportunities.
Poverty Bar Trail
1.1 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking, horseback riding
ADA accessible
Dog friendly
Willow Creek Trail
3.8 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking
ADA accessible
Dog friendly
Tombstone Nature Trail
1.1 miles, non-paved
Hiking
Dog friendly
Steamboat Lake Non-motorized Trails/Ski Touring Center
Winter Trail
4.20 miles, groomed
Cross-country and skate skiers, fat-tire biking, snowshoeing
Dog friendly
Steamboat Lake Multiple Use Access Trail
Winter Trail
5.0 miles, groomed
Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobile riding
Dog friendly
Poverty Bar Trail
1.1 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking, horseback riding
ADA accessible
Dog friendly
Willow Creek Trail
3.8 miles, non-paved
Hiking, biking
ADA accessible
Dog friendly
Tombstone Nature Trail
1.1 miles, non-paved
Hiking
Dog friendly
Steamboat Lake Non-motorized Trails/Ski Touring Center
Winter Trail
4.20 miles, groomed
Cross-country and skate skiers, fat-tire biking, snowshoeing
Dog friendly
Steamboat Lake Multiple Use Access Trail
Winter Trail
5.0 miles, groomed
Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobile riding
Dog friendly
All-Terrain, Battery-Powered Mobility Aid
Track Chair Program
Visitors with mobility challenges and/or disabilities can explore the Willow Creek Trail at Steamboat Lake State Park using a track chair. It is a guided 2.2 mile, roundtrip, out-and-back hike that offers views of gorgeous park features including high grassy meadows, a wide variety of wildlife and wildflowers, a view of the Clara Henry Cabin, and a view of the Steamboat Lake Dam. The trail offers spectacular views of Hahn’s Peak, Little Mountain, Sand Mountains, Meaden Peak, and Diamond Peak. Use of the track chair is free of charge. A park pass is required on all vehicles entering the park.
Make a Reservation
The track chair is available to reserve on Saturdays and Sundays, from June through October, weather depending. The track chair is capable of operating in the rain and we welcome you to use it in those conditions. We reserve the right to cancel any booking due to inclement weather. Your safety is our top priority.
Once you make a reservation, you will receive a confirmation email.
Track Chair Information
Please arrive at the Steamboat Lake State Park Visitor Center parking lot 15 minutes ahead of your reservation time for a safety briefing. The address is 61105 RCR 129, Clark, CO 80428.
All hikers must bring an adult companion with them. Companions should be able to walk up to 2.2 miles without assistance.
CPW staff and volunteers are not able to help with transfers. A slide board and/or gait belt is available to facilitate transfers, but if additional assistance is needed, the guest of the track chair user will be responsible.
Service animals and dogs are allowed, but must be leashed and under the control of the companion person. Service animals are not permitted inside the track chair, and hikers should not be holding a leash while the machine is occupied and in motion.
Children are welcome to hike alongside the track chair, but they are not allowed to sit in the lap of the user while the machine is in motion.
For more detailed information to help prepare you for your track chair experience, please contact the park at [email protected] or at 970-879-3922, extension 3.
If you have specific items that you rely on for your personal comfort, it is recommended that you bring them. The park elevation ranges from 8,000-8,100 feet and is subject to a rapidly changing mountain-weather environment. Thermoregulation is your responsibility, so make a point to check the local weather forecast and bring adequate clothing to maintain an appropriate level of comfort. The trail is nearly 100% exposed with almost no shade.
Please bring more water than you think you’ll need, sunglasses, a hat, raingear, and sunscreen. Please wear close-toed shoes if possible.
If needed, the park offers a slide board to facilitate transfer into the track chair. If you require special accommodation, we ask that a friend, family member, or caregiver provide the assistance needed. Steamboat Lake State Park staff and volunteers have received training in assisting with transfers, but are limited in the level of assistance they can provide.
There are two accessible parking spots at the Steamboat Lake State Park visitor center. Staff can meet you at your car with the track chair.
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.
Activity
Hunting
Licensed hunters are welcome during all legal seasons beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day and continuing through the Friday prior to Memorial Day.
- Hunters must sign in on the board in front of the Visitor Center before hunting in the park.
- It is prohibited to discharge firearms and/or other weapons within 100 yards of any designated campground, picnic area, boat ramp, swimming or water skiing beach, or nature trail and study area.
Upcoming Events
Sep
10
Hiring Q&A — Parks and Wildlife Officers
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:00pm - Sep 10, 2026 · 7:00pm
We're hiring! Join us on Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a Q&A about the hiring process to become a Parks or...
Sep
10
Hiring Q&A — Parks and Wildlife Officers
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:00pm - Sep 10, 2026 · 7:00pm
We're hiring! Join us on Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a Q&A about the hiring process to become a Parks or...
Sep
10
Hiring Q&A — Parks and Wildlife Officers
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:00pm - Sep 10, 2026 · 7:00pm
We're hiring! Join us on Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a Q&A about the hiring process to become a Parks or...
Sep
10
Hiring Q&A — Parks and Wildlife Officers
Sep 10, 2026 · 6:00pm - Sep 10, 2026 · 7:00pm
We're hiring! Join us on Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. for a Q&A about the hiring process to become a Parks or...