Chatfield State Park is one of Colorado’s busiest outdoor destinations. Less than 20 miles from downtown Denver, it offers a variety of recreational activities that draw more than 2 million visitors each year.
“There’s something here for almost everybody,” Chatfield State Park Park Ranger Timothy Abt said. “There’s motor boating or paddleboarding or kayaking, or if you want you can fish. We also have a model airfield. A lot of people come here to ride horses, to going up in a hot air balloon. There's dog training areas, there's a dog off leash area.”
People flock to Chatfield for all of those activities, but things on the water are the main draw, especially in the summer. Up to 10,000 people visit the park in a single day during peak season. It’s not uncommon to completely fill the parking areas near the water, while spaces away from the water are left empty.
The influx in visitors requires substantial staffing, with 13 full-time employees on hand and an additional 50 to 70 season workers during the summer months.
“With that many people coming to visit the park, it requires a lot of work to get it to a point where it's something that the public likes to have,” Abt said. “We have 200 sites in the campground. So, even the campground can have 600 to 1000 people at any given time.”
The popularity of the park sometimes overwhelms its capacity. On weekend summer days, it’s likely that the park will have to limit the amount of people who can enter. Park officials urge patience on those days.
“We just ask that our visitors are flexible and easy going with us, because that is a difficult thing for our staff to manage, and it's in the best interest of the park,” Abt said. “If the park is closed for capacity, we have a reason for it, and it’s not only to protect the resource but to provide a quality state park for everyone.”
Chatfield State Park is a multifaceted retreat for outdoor enthusiasts that is typically far less busy during the week than the weekend. Whether fishing on the shores of Chatfield Reservoir, capturing photos of local wildlife, or simply soaking in the serene surroundings, you can likely find something you’re interested in.
