Highline Lake State Park

Highline Lake State Park is a 697-acre park in Mesa County, about 10 miles northwest of Fruita.

Things to do include ice fishing, winter sports, hunting in season, canoeing and kayaking, and boating. Water access includes a boat ramp and a fishing pier. Overnight options include 56 campsites, with RV sites, tent sites, group camping, and showers.

Over nine miles of trail allow visitors to explore the desert landscape. The main trail, the Highline Lake Trail, loops 3.5 miles to provide excellent wildlife watching opportunities The other trails are single-track but accommodate hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. Highline Lake State Park serves as a great starting point to world-class mountain bike routes on nearby Bureau of Land Management property. Easy Trails Mack Mesa S Trail 0.6 miles Easily guaranteed to be one of the most fun trails in the park, the Mack Mesa S Trail is full of windy downhill turns. Enjoy the views of the Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa, and even the Book Cliffs in Colorado AND Utah. Blue Heron Marsh Trail 0.6 miles This loop offers the best tour of riparian habitat around the lake. The trail is flat except for beginning and end when returning to the top of the dam. Wildlife commonly seen here include mule deer, raccoons, red foxes and even bobcats. Moderate Trails Greasewood Flats Loop 1.1 miles Hiking, biking Enjoy the sage and cedar smells on this easy loop. As one of the farthest trails from the swim beach, birds and other wildlife are easily seen. Mack Mesa Loop 1.2 miles Hiking, biking Looking down from one of the highest points in the park, hikers and bikers can see nearly the entire park. Couple this trail with the Mack Mesa S Trail for a full loop of birdwatching opportunities. East Bluffs Loop 1.1 miles Take a tour of Highline's east inlets with this narrow singletrack. This loop provides the only access, other than boat, to the cabanas along the east side of the lake, including a pebble beach. There are some steep sections to this trail, so please use caution. Difficult Trails Highline Lake Trail 3.3 miles Hiking, biking This trail features excellent shore bird and mule deer viewing opportunities. Acting as the main trail to hike around the lake, several trails come off of Highline Lake Trail to add length and complexity to your ride or hike. Engle Loop Engle Loop adds approximately .9 miles to the 18 Hour Trail, bringing the trail's total length to 6.42 miles. Trail Map

Wildlife and waterfowl are abundant year-round at Highline Lake, and there are Watchable Wildlife Kiosks at either side of Highline Lake. These accessible shelters contain viewing scopes for those up-close shots! There are also several wildlife interpretive displays in the Visitor Center alongside beautiful paintings and carvings of birds seen in the park, generously created and donated to Highline Lake by volunteers. Accessible facilities listed: Accessible Event Space Rental, Accessible Fishing Pier, Accessible Parking, Accessible Restrooms, Accessible Showers, Accessible Campsite

When you camp at Highline Lake State Park, check-in time is 1 p.m. on the day of arrival and check-out time is 12 p.m. (noon) on the day of departure. The group camping area can accommodate up to 100 campers. Please be aware of closures for watering. The arid climate of the Grand Valley makes it challenging for park staff to keep grass and trees alive and healthy. One of the methods we use for the grass in the campground is flood irrigation, meaning we flood the campsites to get the maximum amount of moisture into the ground. During watering days, certain campsites are closed for the day. These closures are built into the reservation system.