Lakes? (Denver, Pueblo, Castle Rock: centers, moving, clubs)

[Sf_techie]

Considering relocating from California and am ready to give up the ocean...are there lakes in CS to swim in or wade in? (I know, it's cold). What to do with a kid who loves the water? Swimming pools?

[otterprods]

Lakes within 1 hour of COS with swim beaches:
Memorial Park in downtown COS
Cheyenne Mountain resort west of downtown COS (private, members and resort guests only -- but very nice)
Lake Pueblo 1 hour southwest of COS (minimal day use fee required)
There may be others I've forgotten, but those are the main ones until you get up to Denver, which offers a few more possibilities but not a lot.
In the high country there are several lakes with nice swim beaches, but most are too far to drive to for the day and the swimming season is very short.

There are several pools, mostly at fitness centers. A few community pools, but nothing particularly nice. A lot of people just use the Y, which works for most. Castle Rock (about 45 min. north of COS) has a very nice rec center with a superb indoor pool (with water slides) but no outdoor pool. Also it gets very crowded with kids on weekends. Country clubs and high end fitness clubs will be less crowded with kids, but they will charge a lot more.

So yes there are places to swim, but you usually have to drive a little, or pay a lot, or both.

Basically it boils down to this... if you're moving here from CA (which I did 6+ years ago) be prepared to either give up fun-in-the-sun swimming or make it an occasional 'treat' activity on vacation or for the day in summer. Rafting and fishing are the main water sports here. Walking onto a frozen lake is often the easiest way to get out on the water, and the only way in some cases. Although many of them allow paddling and/or motorized boating when conditions permit. That said, if you're just interested in swimming in a pool for exercise (or competitively), you will have that option here as well as anywhere. I'm swimming more right now than I ever did in CA because I joined an aquatics club. It's not that cheap though and I have to drive a ways.