We love this little park tucked away in the woods and have been here several times. We've stayed in the Yurts, the cabins and most recently in the campground.

A stream from the mountains fills the little lake on one side and another stream comes out of the dam on the campground side. Standing on the shore you are surrounded by water, mountains, trees and wildlife. 

Most activities revolve around the lake and the park does rent canoes and kayaks. If you bring your own, there might be a watercraft inspection needed.

Colorado state parks book quickly for the spring/summer/fall months. Take advantage of booking up to 6 months to the day if you want to be sure of a spot. 

That said, this is a small park off the beaten path and we often find a spot last minute for a single weekday night. 

Larger rigs should be able to get into the park without problem, but note that there's a pretty long dirt road from the visitor's center to the campground. We didn't notice any low hanging limbs (we're 10 feet) and the road is solid but washboarded in some places. 

Once you get into the park there is no cell reception and the nearest WiFi is the visitor's center. The nearest restaurant and services is about 10 miles out, so plan accordingly.

There is water and a dump station available along with plenty of sunlight, so aside from food you could stay here indefinitely.

The park has yurts, cabins, and regular cammping spots. 

Note that the yurts are not at the lake and you will need to drive the long dirt road from the yurts to the lake. They are a nice options if you have multiple families traveling together.

The cabins are very nice and spacious, but not luxurious. When we last used them they consisted of a picnic table, wooden bunk beds with thin mattresses (the kind enclosed in plastic) and a small gas heater.

The cabins are separate from the main campground but definitely close enough to walk to the lake. There are also pit toilets located nearby.

The campground itself is nicely spaced out and we didn't feel like we were on top of our neighbors. The sites closer to the stream seem to have the most space between sites.

Our site was pretty level and just needed a few blocks in the rear.

There are water spigots and pit toilets through the park.

The shower house has flush toilets and simple showers. The showers require quarters (as is the case in most Colorado state parks). 

The park website mentions a dump station but we didn't see or use it.

Most of the things to do revolve around the lake. 

There is a trail around the lake that's fairly flat and about 1.5 miles long. It's easy enough to walk over the dam portion and back.

You can kayak, paddle board, canoe, etc. on the lake but swimming and motor boating is not allowed (electric trolling motors are okay). 

Most of the lake is accessible for fishing and we've seen lots fishing from the shore and from boat. 

There is a lot of wildlife in the area, including birds, deer, and moose. We usually spend the evenings walking the paths with binoculars looking for new birds.

This park is nice for quiet contemplation or playing on the lake as well as a nice basecamp for the area.

The town of Eagle is about 10 miles away and has gas, food, restaurants, etc. Close enough if you really need something, but the long dirt road from the campground will discourage you from traveling out often.

Eagle is a good base camp to several ski resorts (open year round) and other attractions. 

Glenwood Springs is about 45 minutes away and has hot springs and a little carnival setup overlooking the town.

Hidden Lake is a popular hike about 60 minutes away - you need to go to Glenwood Springs and then get back on I-70 east to access it. You will need parking reservations for this hike. 

The Colorado River follows I-70 in this area and there are many places to river raft and access the river depending on the current flow rate.

A quiet little park tucked in the mountains near Eagle, CO. This park has hiking, fishing and boating (no motors).

Colorado has an additional entrance fee per vehicle. Booking is online through Reserve America and most campsites are reservation only. You can book same day and up to 6 months in advance.

The daily entrance fee is $10 in 2023 though Colorado does offer an annual entrance pass for $80. You can buy the annual pass online, at state parks, or at some retailers, such as REI. Even though it is called an annual pass it runs for 12 months from the date of purchase.

Colorado

Sylvan Lake State Park

This is a huge park with lots of sites right on the lake.

This campground has our favorite type of bathroom - private rooms with toilet/sink/shower and a locking door.

The campgrounds are very open. The campgrounds on the north side have lots of space between sites whereas the south side sites are a bit closer together.

Since it's so open, it can be hot in the summer months and windy any time of year.

We had a spacious campsite with electricity. There are water spigots scattered throughout the campgrounds, but none at the site.

Our favorite bathroom/shower setup where you have individual private rooms with locking doors. Free hot showers. Each room has a toilet, sink and shower. there are outlets in the bathrooms.

The city of Pueblo is a medium sized city and has everything you need. It's a short drive from the park.

The Arkansas River is nearby and has some fun river rafting trips.

Beautiful, but open, and very large state park surrounding Lake Pueblo.

Information for Colorado

Booking

Fees

Reviews for Colorado

Sylvan Lake State Park

Lake Pueblo State Park