· South Park

Antero Reservoir

The large, shallow Antero Reservoir tends to have three stages: chock full of water (and birds!), completely dry, or completely frozen. When it is full in the liquid state, it is among the best birding lakes in the mountains, and can be absolutely carpeted with a wide variety of waterfowl, American White-Pelicans, grebes of various species, and even shorebirds that are typically hard to come by in the area. In times of higher water, you may find smaller pools of water along the entrance road, allowing for a closer look at birds and even better for shorebird species. The open country around the reservoir can have flocks of bluebirds, Horned Larks (with a few Lapland Longspurs mixed in during late fall), or raptors of various species (look for Rough-legged Hawk in late fall/winter).

County: Park

Directions: From US Hwy 285 and C-470: go south on US Hwy 285 through Fairplay. Continue south and in about a mile, head southeast onto Hwy 9 toward Hartsel. In 15 miles, go west onto Hwy 24. The north entrance road to the reservoir is CR 80 and the south entrance road is CR 78.

Dates of Access: Open all year
Hours: Daylight hours
Ownership: Denver Water
Admission: Free

Restrictions: Sometimes closed when reservoir is dry

Parking: Gravel parking areas
Lodging: Hotels in Fairplay or camping on-site

Handicapped: Yes
Handicapped Access: ADA accessible facilities, some viewing from car

Latitude: 38.982761
Longitude: -105.896434

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