Marston Lake

While not quite the same caliber as Chatfield or Cherry Creek Reservoirs, Marston is still one of the best lakes in the Denver area. Productive at almost any time of year (perhaps least interesting in the middle of the summer), the lake can have almost any of the waterfowl species that occur in the state. It is semi-reliable for Barrow’s Goldeneye during the late fall and winter, and is among the best spots in the area for loons (including Pacific) and all the regular grebe species. When an ice shelf forms, there can sometimes be large flocks of gulls; look especially for Thayer’s and Lesser Black-backed Gulls from late fall through early spring. The property is private, and can only be viewed through a chain-link fence.

County: Denver

Directions: From US 285: exit at CO 121/Wadsworth Blvd. and go south. At the intersection of Wadsworth and Stanford Ave., go east on S. Wadsworth Blvd. The road parallels the SE shore; scan from any openings where you can see the reservoir. To reach the north end of the reservoir, go east at Quincy to Sheridan Blvd. Then go south on Sheridan to a "T" with Bow Mar Dr. On Bow Mar, head northwest; this road parallels the north side of the reservoir and provides good vantage points for scanning.

Dates of Access: Open all year
Hours: Daylight hours
Ownership: Municipal / Private
Admission: Free

Restrictions: Reservoir is private property

Parking: Street parking
Lodging: Hotels in Littleton and Denver

Handicapped Access: Some birding from your car

Latitude: 39.633789
Longitude: -105.081659

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