Colorado is home to more than 40 state parks and recreation areas, and last year, 19.5 million people visited them to enjoy the great outdoors.
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The parks offer a diverse range of experiences and, of course, not all are as trafficked as the most popular ones. Lake Pueblo State Park, consistently the most-visited in Colorado, welcomed about 3 million people in 2025, according to data from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, provided to The Denver Post. In terms of popularity, it’s rivaled only by Chatfield State Park and Cherry Creek State Park, which saw 2.4 million and 2 million recreators last year, respectively.
Those three parks are large enough to support robust crowds and, good thing, since they’re near heavily populated areas. But if you’d rather avoid lcrowds, there are plentiful state parks that offer some remote serenity — as long as you’re willing to travel from the metro area. The seven state parks in southwestern Colorado, for example, saw roughly 1.6 million visitors total in 2025, which is less than the number of people who came through just Golden Gate Canyon State Park on the Front Range during the same time period.
We’d argue a long drive is a small price to pay for some solace in the wilderness. So pack the car and use this list of the 10 least-visited state parks in Colorado to plan your next adventure. We’ve also thrown in five bonus destinations close to Denver to satisfy those looking for a shorter trip.
Note: We’ve excluded two state-managed shooting ranges and one park that’s open exclusively to hunters, which are annually among the lowest in terms of visitation.
Colorado’s 10 least visited state parks
Fishers Peak State Park (Trinidad)
2025 visitation: 15,188
Located about 10 miles from the New Mexico border, Fishers Peak is one of Colorado’s newest state parks, having joined the public domain in 2020. Named for the 9,633-foot peak that towers over the area, the park encompasses 19,300 acres and is continually expanding its offerings. In August, for example, 9 miles worth of new trails opened for hiking and mountain biking. The area is also a haven for wildlife, such as elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, black bears, mountain lions and wild turkeys. Note: dogs are not allowed in the park at this time.
Pearl Lake State Park (Clark)
2025 visitation: 33,846
With a 167-acre lake and habitat that’s home to hundreds of bird species, Pearl Lake State Park is almost at the Wyoming border. Nestled in the mountains north of Steamboat Springs, this park offers plentiful paddleboarding, kayaking, and boating, as well as places to hike and camp. Anglers should know it is also home to gold medal cutthroat trout. The lake is much smaller than that of the nearby Steamboat Lake State Park, which welcomes about 243,000 visitors per year, but the park itself is bigger in terms of acreage. And less foot traffic plays into its charm.
Spinney Mountain State Park (Lake George)
2025 visitation: 34,482
Spinney Mountain Reservoir may be where the City of Aurora stores the majority of its water, but it’s also a recreation haven for boaters, birders and anglers. The 2,444-acre reservoir is home to trophy-sized cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout, as well as northern pike. It can also be quite windy, which is a plus for people who go there to windsurf. Spinney Mountain State Park is a day-use area only, so it doesn’t permit camping, but it does offer views of the Collegiate Peaks on the Sawatch Mountain Range to those who come to picnic and enjoy the water.
Paonia State Park (Crawford)
2025 visitation: 34,793
Located at 6,500 feet and surrounded by mountains, Paonia State Park offers a remote setting for camping and water sports. The 334-acre reservoir allows for boating, including sailboats, jet skiing, paddleboarding and kayaking. Those looking to hike can take a short drive to Raggeds Wilderness Area, part of the Elk Mountains, to get in their steps.
Mancos State Park (Mancos)
2025 visitation: 43,556
Located on the southwestern edge of the San Juan National Forest, Mancos State Park offers prime access to recreation near the Four Corners area. Many people camp there and then explore attractions like Mesa Verde National Park (about an hour’s drive) or the San Juan Skyway. Within the park’s borders, there’s a reservoir for fishing, swimming and no-wake boating, as well as some trails for hiking and horseback riding.
Harvey Gap State Park (Rifle)
2025 visitation: 49,818
Harvey Gap State Park is a day-use area that attracts people who want to swim and kayak against the backdrop of The Grand Hogback, a spine-like ridge that runs along the edge of the reservoir. Perhaps one of the biggest perks is how close this state park is to others worth visiting, including Rifle Gap State Park and Rifle Falls State Park, each less than 10 miles away.
Sweitzer Lake State Park (Delta)
2025 visitation: 69,704
Since 1953, Western Slope residents have been able to cool off and enjoy Sweitzer Lake, which is technically a reservoir. In the early days, it was said to be hugely popular because it was the only recreational lake within nearly 100 miles in any direction. Today, it’s one of the least-visited state parks on the Western Slope, but that’s all the better for people who want to swim, boat, water ski, jet ski and fish there. Sweitzer Lake State Park is a day-use area only and a popular spot for birdwatching.
Sylvan Lake State Park (Eagle)
2025 visitation: 110,153
This park’s namesake 42-acre mountain lake is the center of the action, where visitors fish, paddleboard and kayak to their heart’s content. Better still are the mountain views that surround the lake and the robust collection of wildlife that call this place home, from voles, shrews, and marmots to elk, black bears, and porcupines. Additionally, Sylvan Lake State Park has 7.8 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding (and snowshoeing in the winter), plus a campground. There are even cabins and yurts onsite for guests to rent.
Yampa River State Park (Hayden)
2025 visitation: 140,925
Located in northern Colorado, Yampa River State Park encompasses 134 miles of the Yampa River, from Hayden west to the Dinosaur National Monument near Utah. The park is divided into 13 sections or access points, each with different amenities, attractions and camping rules. Fishing is a huge draw here, but visitors can also experience whitewater rafting and enjoy the scenery and wildlife, including plenty of birds. As an added bonus, the Elkhead Reservoir State Park, which offers an abundance of hiking and water activities, is just a short drive from the eastern part of Yampa River State Park, and only sees about 157,000 visitors per year.
Rifle Falls State Park (Rifle)
2025 visitation: 151,354
At 48 acres, Rifle Falls is one of the smaller state parks, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in awe-inspiring attractions. Take, for example, the three namesake waterfalls that cascade 60 feet down to the lush landscape. Colorado Parks & Wildlife calls it “the closest you’ll get to the tropics” in the state due to the spray that keeps everything mossy and moist. Below the falls are limestone caves ripe for exploration, and hiking trails take visitors by the Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery, one of the largest trout-production hatcheries in Colorado. Camping is also available.
5 least visited state parks closest to Denver
- Barr Lake State Park; 26 miles from Denver, annual visitation of 172,009 people
- Roxborough State Park; 35 miles from Denver, annual visitation of 209,485 people
- Castlewood Canyon State Park; 39 miles from Denver, annual visitation of 235,313 people
- St. Vrain State Park; 33 miles from Denver, annual visitation of 266,636 people
- Staunton State Park; 39 miles from Denver, annual visitation of 442,803 people
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