On a short day trip to Loveland Pass, we decided to stop by Dillon Reservoir and spend a few minutes to check it out. Sometimes refeered to as Lake Dillon, it is a large fresh water reservoir located in Summit County, Colorado, south of 1-70 and bordered by the towns of Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon.
The Dillon Reservoir Dam, built in 1963, is an earth-fill dam built to divert water from the Blue River Basin. At 5,888 feet long, it is the largest water storage facility in the Denver Water system. It is so huge, that the entire town of Dillon, Colorado, and a hydroelectric plant were relocated to build the dam. Today its shoreline supports many year round recreational activities.
During the winter months, ice fishing and snowboarding are common activities. For warmer months, the towns of Dillon and Frisco each have marinas on the reservoir. The Dillon Marina is open and hundred of sailboats can be seen docked or sailing. Dillon Marina hosts many weekend racing regattas and also provides sailboats for rent. The Dillon Yacht Club is based our of the Dillon Marina and also hosts many sailing events. Dillon Reservoir is stocked each year with 50,000 rainbow trout by the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
The water is the biggest attraction, of course, but there is also an 18 mile paved bike path that winds around the entire reservoir. The path can be accessed at any point around the reservoir, and passes through the towns of Silverthorne and Dillon.
Even though it was a short little visit, we found it very pleasant. We look forward to coming back next summer and spending part of the day with our dogs, doing a little walking, and maybe have a little picnic. With such an amazing view, it’s hard not to want to soak up the atmosphere.
