Rifle Gap State Park | |
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Location | Garfield County, Colorado, U.S. |
Nearest city | Rifle, Colorado |
Coordinates | 39°38′05″N107°45′18″W / 39.63472°N 107.75500°W |
Area | 1,341 acres (543 hectares) |
Established | 1966 |
Visitors | 324,971(in 2021) [1] |
Governing body | Colorado Parks and Wildlife |
Rifle Gap State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Garfield County near Rifle, Colorado. The 1,341-acre (543-hectare) park established in 1966 includes a 360-acre (150-hectare) reservoir. [2] Plant communities are pinyon-juniper woodlands, sagebrush shrubland with deciduous riparian forest in places along the edge of the Rifle Gap Reservoir. Commonly observed wildlife include mule deer, elk and great horned owls. Park facilities include a visitors center, campgrounds, picnic sites and a boat ramp.
Tarryall Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 68.5 miles (110.2 km) long, in Park County in central Colorado in the United States. It drains a rural portion of north and central South Park, an intermontane grassland in the Rocky Mountains southwest of Denver. It rises in the high Rockies in several forks along the Continental Divide in the Pike National Forest southwest of Boreas Pass. It descends to the southwest through a short canyon, emerging into South Park near Como, Colorado. It crosses U.S. Highway 285 east of Red Hill Pass northeast of Fairplay, the county seat of Park County, then meanders towards the southeast, joining the South Platte from the east in the southeastern corner of South Park.
Lake Pueblo State Park is a state park located in Pueblo County, Colorado. It includes 60 miles (97 km) of shoreline and 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land. Activities it offers include two full-service marinas, recreational fishing, hiking, camping and swimming at a special swim beach.
Vega State Park is a 1,823-acre (738 ha) Colorado state park in Mesa County, Colorado in the United States. Vega Reservoir is a fishing destination and is located at an elevation of 7,696 feet (2,346 m). Year-round recreational activities at Vega State Park include boating, hiking, snowmobiling and camping. The park was established in 1967 in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation which was responsible for the construction of Vega Dam and Vega Reservoir. It is located at the northeast edge of Grand Mesa National Forest in Western Colorado.
Eleven Mile State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Park County, 11 miles (18 km) south of Lake George, Colorado, United States. Established in 1970, the 7,662-acre (31.01 km2) park surrounds 3,405-acre (13.78 km2), 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir. The reservoir itself was completed in 1932 by Denver Water. Facilities include a marina, a visitors center and over 300 campsites. There are 5 miles (8.0 km) of trails available for hikers and bicyclists. Fish species include cutthroat, rainbow, brown trout and northern pike. Eleven Mile Reservoir is famous for the thriving Kokanee salmon population found in the river current along the north side of the reservoir known as the Dream Stream. This reservoir is also known for being very windy in the afternoon. A required daily vehicle park pass can be obtained at the entrance of the park. Daily species possession limits are as follows: trout, 4 total, two over 16" and two under 16", or four under 16"; salmon, 10; pike and crawdads, unlimited. Cottontail rabbit, white-tailed jackrabbit, coyote, muskrat and ground squirrels are commonly seen in the park. Mule deer, pronghorn, porcupine, badger, black bear and elk are seen occasionally.
Sylvan Lake State Park is a Colorado state park located in Eagle County, 10 miles (16 km) south of Eagle, Colorado. The 1,548-acre (626 ha) park established in 1987 and surrounded by the White River National Forest includes a 42-acre (17 ha) lake and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of trails.
Sweitzer Lake State Park is a Colorado state park located in Delta County 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Delta, Colorado. The 210-acre (85 ha) park established in 1960 includes a 137-acre (55 ha) reservoir. Facilities include a boat ramp, swim beach and picnic sites. Birdwatchers have spotted 170 different species in the park. A portion of the park's land was donated by the eponymous Morgan Sweitzer in order to develop it as a recreation destination.
Rifle Falls State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Garfield County northeast of Rifle, Colorado. The central feature of the 48-acre (19-hectare) park is Rifle Falls, a triple 70-foot (21-meter) waterfall flowing over a travertine dam on East Rifle Creek. Commonly seen wildlife includes mule deer, elk, coyote, and golden-mantled ground squirrel. Rainbow and brown trout can be caught in the creek. Limestone cliffs near the falls have a few small caves and three species of bats. Visitor facilities include campsites, picnic sites and 2.0 miles of hiking trails.
Harvey Gap State Park, is a Colorado state park founded in 1987. It is well known for its fishing and limited use boating. The park's reservoir — Grass Valley Reservoir — is 190 acres (0.77 km2) when full and allows fishing year round.
Steamboat Lake State Park is a Colorado state park located in Routt County 27 miles (43 km) north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and near the community of Hahns Peak Village. The 2,820-acre (1,140 ha) park land west of Hahns Peak was acquired in 1966. It and the 1,101 acres (446 ha) reservoir was opened to the public in 1972. As of 2021 park facilities include a visitors center, a marina, boat ramps, campsites, cabins, picnic sites and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) of hiking trails. Plant communities include sagebrush shrubland, quaking aspen and lodgepole pine forests, willow carr and marsh. Commonly seen mammalian wildlife species include mule deer and red fox. The reservoir attracts many species of shorebirds and waterfowl, including sandhill cranes that nest in the wetland areas.
Stagecoach State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Routt County 17 miles (27 km) south of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The 1,641-acre (6.64 km2) park established in 1989 includes a 771-acre (3.12 km2) reservoir on the Yampa River formed by Stagecoach Dam. Facilities include a marina, boat ramps, campsites, picnic sites and 8 miles (13 km) of trails. Park uplands are montane shrub communities, with riparian areas and wetlands around the reservoir and along the river. Commonly sighted wildlife includes elk, mule deer, coyote, red fox and badger.
Paonia State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Gunnison County east of Paonia, Colorado. The 1,857-acre (7.52 km2) park in a canyon surrounding Paonia Reservoir on the North Fork Gunnison River was established in 1964. Park facilities include campsites, picnic sites and a boat ramp. Geologic formations from the Cretaceous and Paleocene periods are visible in the park, along with fossilized palm fronds and leaf imprints. Park uplands are gambel oak shrublands along with mixed conifer and aspen forests. Commonly seen wildlife include mule deer, elk, cottontail rabbit and marmot.
Spinney Mountain State Park is a Colorado state park located in South Park in Park County, Colorado, United States.
North Sterling State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Logan County north of Sterling, Colorado, Colorado. The 5,022-acre (2,032-hectare) park established in 1992 includes a reservoir with 2,880 acres (1,170 ha) of surface area and 6 miles (9.7 km) of hiking trails along the shoreline. Warm water fish in the reservoir include walleye, wiper, bass, yellow perch, and channel catfish. Facilities include over 100 campsites, boat ramps, a swim beach and a visitors center.
Rifle Gap Dam is a dam in Garfield County, Colorado, about five and a half miles north of Rifle.
Elkhead Reservoir State Park is a Colorado state park located in Moffat and Routt counties in northwest Colorado, near Craig. The park surrounds and includes the 900 surface acre Elkhead Reservoir. It is referred to as Elkhead State Park. Elkhead Reservoir State Park is managed as a complex out of the Yampa River State Park office, located to the west of the town of Hayden, CO.
The Grand Hogback is a 70-mile long, curving, spine-like ridge in Western Colorado that extends from near McClure Pass in Pitkin County through Garfield County and then to near Meeker in Rio Blanco County. The hogback is significant because it marks part of the boundary between the Colorado Plateau to the west and the Southern Rocky Mountains to the east.
La Jara Reservoir is a reservoir in Conejos County, Colorado. Located 24 miles west of the town of La Jara, Colorado, the reservoir lies high in the San Juan Mountains. The rocky dirt road to the reservoir is difficult, and the reservoir lies about 15 miles from the nearest paved road. The fishing is poor, but the area surrounding the reservoir is popular with deer, elk, and waterfowl hunters.
Williams Creek Reservoir lies in Hinsdale County, Colorado, U.S., north of Pagosa Springs. The reservoir and some of the land around it make up the Williams Creek Reservoir State Wildlife Area. The wildlife area lies within the San Juan National Forest and is surrounded by the San Juan Mountains.