Chatfield State Park - Littleton, Colorado

Beza Bebe

I recently visited Chatfield State Park, and while the scenery was absolutely stunning, my overall experience was mixed.

The park boasts breathtaking views, with beautiful landscapes stretching out in every direction and majestic mountains framing the backdrop. It’s a perfect spot for nature lovers and photographers alike. Whether you're hiking or simply enjoying a picnic, the views alone make it worth the trip.

One of the highlights of the park is the opportunity for water activities. They offer equipment rentals such as kayaks, which is a fantastic way to enjoy the lake. However, I was disappointed with the beach area. Instead of soft sand, the shoreline was covered in pebbles and rocks, making it uncomfortable to walk on. It would have been much more enjoyable if there had been a proper sandy beach.

As much as I loved the views, the water itself was a letdown. The lake was not clean, appearing murky and brown, with an unpleasant smell. This was quite surprising given the beautiful setting, and it detracted from the overall experience. I was hoping for a refreshing swim or a serene kayaking experience, but the water conditions made that unappealing.

Overall, while Chatfield State Park offers stunning scenery and great recreational opportunities, the water quality and beach conditions left something to be desired. I’m not sure if I would return for water activities given my experience, but I would definitely consider visiting again just to enjoy the beautiful views and explore more of the park's trails.

Michael Watson

Our local state park and reservoir. The lake is iced over and some are out fishing. There is work going on to remove the old trees along the old waterline where the new water levels have submerged them. A quiet place when the helicopter is not working.

Nikolai Mannsfeld

Gorgeous state park not too far from the Denver area. Decided to go camping here and it was a fantastic experience. Liked the campsites (be sure to have a reservation to get one,) the amenities, the lake where you can boat or paddle board, warm and cold water, cool wildlife, and great people and staff. We did have a blast camping in this stage park. The entrances are also very convenient from both the highways nearby. It is probably one of my favorite state parks I have ever been to. Highly recommend this state park!

Lane Hall

This is a very scenic, peaceful area. We caught a beautiful sunset. The rangers working were very polite and kind. I would recommend

Jamie Roberts

I have filled complaints with the attorney general environment crisis, and the civil rights division, due to the rangers being more concerned with profiling and harassing citizens versus doing their job and protecting the environment of the state parks. The trash didn't get cleaned up here until the quarry fire and the helicopter pilots complained about all the trash in and around the water, then it cleaned up. I've been to almost all the Colorado state parks and I've been harassed 6 separate times at chatfield state Park and it's always been the same 3 rangers, one was present 3 occasions the other two on 2 occasions of harassment. This park generates more money than any other park, witnessed by the extreme lines going in the summer weekends, yet it's the only park that has a trash problem. I was harassed by a maintenance worker pretending to be a ranger, I went to the office to complain and they wouldn't let me make a complaint.

Dustin Schulten

As beautiful as it is.. but it was once more beautiful.

The entities that control our water have short-changed the public in spite of our opposition to the reallocation project at this park.

We were told that there would be one tree planted for every tree removed (the vast stands of Cottonwood that used to dominate the shoreline from Massey Draw to the marina)

What we got, though, from what I can see, was some wispy hybrid cottonwoods and junipers. Planted mostly in areas where the public will not frequent. What's more, is that a great deal of these trees, from my observation, have needed constant care from a private contractor to survive. I will not believe for one second that they've planet as many trees in the park than have been removed. Let alone planted mature enough trees to shade high-use areas for the public.

The mismanagement of the reallocation project has been ridiculous to observe and a nightmare to witness the destruction of so many of the park's more secluded and lesser-known areas and trails. They've been flooded or closed to serve the almighty dollar.

I know this isn't CPW's fault, but I can't review the stakeholders.

Lo Wood

Gorgeous place with lots to do! I’ve been twice - once bringing my own flotation devices and the other to rent. The rentals are fairly easy but parking fills up fast. The thing with that too is that you gain access to a much smaller portion of the water area. Once you cross the road (I’m unsure if you can bring the rentals there with you), that’s where you’ll find much more open water. There were boaters out past the trees, and mostly kayakers and paddle boarders navigating the water submerged trees. Lots of Lilly pads and birds around. Definitely bring bug spray! What a treat this place is! I hope to be back often

sunny kadam

Great park with scenic views of the mountains and a big lake. It also boasts an RC field where you can safely fly your remote controlled unmanned aerial vehicle.