Taylor Park Reservoir

By denver-gazette September 14, 2016 | updated 10 years ago

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Get Directions

Taylor Park Reservoir, formed by a dam on the Taylor River, is a 2,400-acre lake in broad Taylor Park on the west side of the Sawatch Range. The 9,300-foot-high lake, created in 1937, is a fine fishery, with anglers catching rainbow, brown, and lake trout, and northern pike. Most catches are rainbow trout, although trophy-sized lake trout lurk in the deeps. Two Forest Service campgrounds—Lakeview and Rivers End—are alongside the reservoir. Nearby on the south shore is a paved boat ramp and marina which offers boat rentals. Other area activities are ATV and mountain bike trails, exploring ghost towns like Tincup, and fishing and climbing in Taylor River Canyon below the dam.

Pro Tips

The Colorado Division of Wildlife notes that 80% of the fish caught at Taylor are rainbow trout. Big lake trout are found, but the fishing is better down-river at Blue Mesa Reservoir. Natural reproducing brown trout are caught along with kokanee salmon, which are snagged near the dam late season. Pike are best caught in early summer.

Taylor Park is a great summer camping area. Lakeview Campground on the south side of the lake has 65 campsites for tents, RVs, and trailers. River’s End Campground at the inlet on the north end of the lake offers 17 campsites in three loops. A primitive boat ramp is at campsites 14 and 15.

Below the dam, the Taylor River dashes down a deep canyon lined with cliffs and thick forest. The tailwater below the dam is famous for big rainbow trout, but it can be crowded. Rafters ride whitewater rapids in the early summer, while rock climbers find vertical challenges on First Buttress and numerous boulders.

The historic town of Tincup nestles in a valley southeast of Taylor Park Reservoir. Tincup, named for a miner who carried gold dust in his tin cup, flourished as a mining town in the 1880s and 1890s. It’s an off-the-beaten-track place with no cell service, but lots of crumbling cabins and two interesting cemeteries.

Recommended season(s): May to October.

—Stewart M. Green

Tags Things To Do - Gunnison

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