Cruising in Colorado

Colorado has no coastline, but it has snowmelt, and snowmelt fills big water. Reservoirs fed by the Rockies stack up across the state: Blue Mesa in the Gunnison National Forest, Lake Granby up in the Arapaho National Recreation Area, Carter Lake along the Front Range. Sailors, powerboaters, and paddlers all get a piece of it. Marinas from Pueblo on the plains to Grand Lake at the headwaters of the Colorado River keep slips, rentals, and services running for locals and visitors alike.

The boating here sorts itself into distinct pockets. Out on the Western Slope, the terrain is vast and rugged and the water matches, Blue Mesa and Navajo State Park draw anglers and cruisers who want room to roam. Along the Front Range, where most of the population lives, lakes like Cherry Creek and Chatfield sit minutes from Denver, home to active sailing clubs, PWC riders, and charter operators running everything from guided trips to bareboat rentals. Each pocket has its own temperament: mountain lakes kick up stiff afternoon winds; lower reservoirs stay calm and broad.