Sweetwater Lake Recreation Area
USFS · Campground · Free
Fast facts
- Cost
- Free
- Managed by
- USFS
- Type
- Campground
- Nearest dump station
- Taylor Lagoons Dump Station · 76.8 mi
- Coordinates
- 39.7974, -107.1610
- Last verified
- September 18, 2026
About this place
FACILITIES: Sweetwater Campground has 9 partially shaded campsites with picnic tables, food lockers and fire rings. This campground has small sites. Six of the sites can accommodate vehicles up to 30 feet long. There is one vault toilet. TRAILS - There are three popular hiking and horseback riding trails beginning at the end of the campground. The Ute Trail, #2031, (9.4 miles) travels toward Deep Lake on the Flattops. ?The Cross Creek Trail, #1855, (6.5 miles) travels through sagebrush flats full of wildflowers and aspen forests to the Sweetwater Trail. Sweetwater Nature Trail, #2031.1A. This short scenic trail (500 yards) has nice views of the lake and a waterfall. FISHING - Sweetwater Lake offers good fishing from the lake surface with non-motorized water craft allowed (5 h.p. electric motors only) and very limited access from the shoreline due to the geography of the area. LAKE ACCESS/BOATING - Canoes and rowboats are popular on this lake and offered for rental at the site. Only electric motors 5 h.p. or less are allowed on the lake. No gas powered motors are allowed. There is a new floating boat dock along the north shore of the lake. Please ensure your boat/watercraft is cleaned, drained, and dry before you launch at Sweetwater Lake to prevent introduction of aquatic nuisance species. PARKING: Please park in the hardened, graveled areas available above the dock or at the day-use parking area at the campground. Please leave the boat dock area clear to allow loading/unloading access. DOGS: Please keep your dog on a leash due to the high number of horseback riders who use this area.
From the USFS.
Is Sweetwater Lake Recreation Area free?
Yes. Sweetwater Lake Recreation Area is free to use. It is managed by the USFS.
How do I get to Sweetwater Lake Recreation Area?
From I-70 Exit 133, take the Colorado River Road north for approximately 7 miles. Turn left onto Sweetwater Creek Road and follow it for 10 miles. Parking is available in several locations on site.
What are the rules at Sweetwater Lake Recreation Area?
**FOOD STORAGE ORDER is in effect requiring all food and refuse to be stored in hard-sided vehicles, approved bear-resistant containers, or supended at least 10 feet clear of the ground at all points and four feet horizontally from any supporting tree or pole. Only electric motoris are permitted on Sweetwater Lake.
Nearby
SourceData from the USFS. Last synced September 18, 2026. Community reports and photos are submitted by travelers and are not verified by the agency.
