Beaches (Denver, Longmont, Loveland: rent, houseboat, live in)

[staceyrae08]

Im not looking for nor expect something that looks like California beaches or Florida, but something you can go spend the day or weekend at with a lake and sand...any info would be great!

[Count David]

Cherry Creek Reservoir.

I wonder if it's still frozen.

[SouthXSW]

There is a "beach" area at Confluence Park where the South Platte and Cherry Creek meet downtown...

You won't find many beaches around Denver. The area lakes are small and very cold.

[staceyrae08]

Thanks guys....it doesn't have to be around Denver, anywhere in CO is ok too. We love to travel!

[BarryK123]

Great Sand Dunes Natl Park. Lots of sand, but no water

[WhereTheSidewalkEnds]

There are beaches on Horsetooth I think. Union Res. here in Longmont has a beach. Does anyone know if Carter lake has a beach? I would think so.

[jesusitadelnorte]

Great Sand Dunes National Monument actually has an arroyo/stream bed that usually has a wide decent flow around late May/early June and tons of people come to play in the river. At that time of year, in order to hike to the top of the dunes your must first cross the river, which was nearly knee deep when I went at the end of May. Fortunately, the park is large enough that you are able to find a nice spot to set up a lawn chair and let the kids build sand castles, cool the dog off or whatever. The crystal clear water is a true oasis in the dunes and creates a magical experience that tricks you into thinking you really are at the beach.

As far as lakes with nice swim beaches, I will second Horsetooth. I also highly recommend the beaches at Lake Loveland and Boyd Lake, both are in the Loveland vicinity +/- an hour north of Denver. I spent many a hot, childhood day at these beaches and they are among my fondest memories. Loveland is the smaller beach but it's usually not that crowded and it's free. Remember, as with most bodies of water in CO the beach/water ratio depends on recent precipitation. Don't expect perfection in the middle of a drought. But most of the time, they will hit the spot on a hot summer day.

[Dogmama50]

Thanks for the info on the Sand Dunes seasonal river, that sounds really fun.

OP there is also Ridgeway State Park, Ruedi Reservoir and the Black Canyon or you could head over to Lake Powell in Utah and rent a houseboat. We do also have lots of amazing hot springs out here, Strawberry Park in Steamboat, Glenwood Springs and Pagosa Springs have resort type facilities but there are also little ones tucked along the rivers.

[davidv]

My favorite is in Clearwater, FL.

I live in Colorado for the mountains and go to Florida for the beaches.

Chatfield Reservoir and Bear Creek Lake have better beaches than Cherry Creek, and the water is much cleaner too.