USDA Forest Service · Colorado

Sweetwater Lake Recreation Area

USDA Forest Service · Colorado, United States

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Cost
No fees are required for this site
Drinking water
No
Restrooms
Yes
Elevation
7,710 ft
Dark sky
Bortle class 1
Cell coverage
T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
Access road
SWEETWATER CAMPGROUND (NFSR 607.1) · native material · suitable for passenger cars
Nearest town
Dotsero, CO

About

US Forest Service campground. FACILITIES: Sweetwater Campground has 9 partially shaded campsites with picnic tables, food lockers and fire rings. This campground has small sites. Six of the sites can accommodate vehicles up to 30 feet long. There is one vault toilet. TRAILS - There are three popular hiking and horseback riding trails beginning at the end of the campground. The Ute Trail, #2031, (9.4 miles) travels toward Deep Lake on the Flattops. ? The Cross Creek Trail, #1855, (6.5 miles) travels through sagebrush flats full of wildflowers and aspen forests to the Sweetwater Trail. Sweetwater Nature Trail, #2031.1A. This short scenic trail (500 yards) has nice views of the lake and a waterfall. FISHING - Sweetwater Lake offers good fishing from the lake surface with non-motorized water craft allowed (5 h.p. electric motors only) and very limited access from the shoreline due to the geography of the area. LAKE ACCESS/BOATING - Canoes and rowboats are popular on this lake and offered for rental at the site. Only electric motors 5 h.p. or less are allowed on the lake. No gas powered motors are allowed. There is a new floating boat dock along the north shore of the lake. Please ensure your boat/watercraft is cleaned, drained, and dry before you launch at Sweetwater Lake to prevent introduction of aquatic nuisance species. PARKING: Please park in the hardened, graveled areas available above the dock or at the day-use parking area at the campground. Please leave the boat dock area clear to allow loading/unloading access. DOGS: Please keep your dog on a leash due to the high number of horseback riders who use this area. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.

Weather, month by month

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January33°13°-11°43°11 of 11
February34°17°0°49°11 of 11
March41°23°5°58°11 of 11
April50°29°8°61°11 of 11
May58°34°24°70°5 of 11
June75°49°34°87°0 of 11
July82°57°46°89°0 of 11
August78°55°47°87°0 of 11
September72°49°33°82°0 of 11
October58°35°-5°69°6 of 10
November47°25°-5°58°10 of 10
December33°12°-7°48°10 of 10

Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.

Nearby campgrounds

All public campgrounds in Colorado · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2025-12-22. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.