Boyd Lake State Park RV & Campground Guide
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Located on the eastern edge of Loveland, CO, Boyd Lake State Park has entertained guests with outdoor activities since 1965. The feature that draws so many visitors is Boyd Lake, a 1,700-surface-acre body of water that sits west of Interstate 25. It straddles the border between the plains to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west. The location keeps the terrain in the park relatively flat while it nestles near the base of Longs Peak. Boyd Lake State Park gets over 300 days of sunshine annually, with summer being the busiest time. That doesn't mean, however, that you cannot find something to do here year-round, even on the ice!
Nearby Cities:
Cheyenne, WY
Denver, CO
Fort Collins, CO
Longmont, CO
Spring 35-63 F
Summer 53-86 F
Fall 34-65 F
Winter 15-45 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Boyd Lake State Park
Campground Accommodations
Cottonwood Campground
Water hookup: No
Electrical hookup: Yes (20/30/50 amp)
Sewer hookup: No
Wi-Fi: No
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: 40 feet
Other amenities: Grills, picnic tables, asphalt pads, dump station, restrooms, showers, playgrounds, horseshoe pit, laundry facility, water spigots, and three ADA-accessible sites
Boyd Lake State Park Campgrounds
Boyd Lake State Park has its own set of 140 paved camping pads that RVers can use with a reservation. These spots go for $36 per night and come with electrical hookups only. In addition to all the other things that you can experience while at the park, camping here offers amenities like bathrooms and showers, picnic areas, fire rings at every campsite, and plenty more. Pets are also allowed here as long as they're kept on a leash and you clean up after them.
Riverview RV Park & Campground
Riverview RV Park & Campground is located in Loveland and provides a nice balance between a more suburban community-style park and the luscious forests and greenery. Rates start at around $50 per night and include full electrical, water, and sewer hookups as well as free Wi-Fi on-site. Showers and restrooms are available as is a large dog park and a children's playground.
Loveland RV Resort
Loveland RV Resort makes good on its name by offering plenty of luxury to those lucky enough to camp with them. All sites include full hookups, the basic price being $58 per night with an additional $3 fee for oversized trailers. Free Wi-Fi comes standard with your stay, and propane refills are available. The resort offers amenities ranging from the more standard options like restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities to the more exciting like a swimming pool, playground, game room, an on-site mini-golf course, horseshoe pits, and volleyball areas. Public storage space is also available for rent if you have anything you'd like to keep there for an extended stay.
RVshare’s Top Picks for Nearby RV Parks & Campgrounds
What to Do at
Boyd Lake State Park
With water sports dominating the activities here, it is nice to find boat launches and the swimming beach conveniently located on the lake's west side. The soft incline around the lake makes walking easy along the water's edge with an armful of fishing gear. Its pull-through and padded sites make camping in tents or RVs simple. The marina has a general store that rents boats, and you can also enjoy rental paddleboards and wakeboards. Boyd Lake State Park maintains 67 picnic sites, a pavilion, a volleyball court, a half-mile nature trail, and a paved bike path in the park that is part of Loveland's recreational trail system.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has developed this facility to focus on outdoor water activities on Boyd Lake. While other adventures are available, this smaller park's available acreage limits activities out of the water.
Inside Boyd Lake State Park
Boyd Lake State Park offers campers and visitors alike a wealth of things to do when they're on the grounds. Given that the central lake takes up much of the area of the park, activities like fishing, swimming, boating, skiing, and more are all very popular. You can even go skating when the water freezes over in the winter, though you should obviously defer to the rangers as to whether or not the ice is thick enough for this. Hiking and biking are also fun on the many trails surrounding the lake.
Fishing
Fishing is popular on a boat or from shore across the 1,700 surface acres of Boyd Lake, including ice fishing once there are 4 inches of ice. Species surveyed here by Colorado Parks and Wildlife include black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, gizzard shad, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, saugeye, smallmouth bass, green sunfish, walleye, white bass, white crappie, white sucker, and yellow perch. The park also offers an ADA-accessible fishing pier, which you can access via a paved path from the parking lot.
Geocaching
If you are in the mood for an old-fashioned scavenger hunt, you will be happy to know that Boyd Lake State Park has several geocaching locations mentioned on various geocaching websites. For example, one geocaching website's "A Walk in the Park" hunt lists a family-friendly cache near the Boyd Lake Visitor Center, north of 37th Street. Another hidden item listed on the same site under "Salix" has you searching on the lake's north end in tall grass.
Stargazing
The Bortle Scale rating for Boyd Lake State Park is roughly Class 5 due to its location within Loveland's city limits. With this suburban label, you will see 5.99 magnitude at most with the naked eye and up to 15 M with 320mm magnification. That means you can see M31 with ease using direct vision, but it is a washout when trying to see the central mass of the Milky Way.
Hiking
The only designated hiking trail at Boyd Lake State Park is the Grassland Trail. It is a 0.4-mile soft dirt pathway with an easy rating and 24-foot vertical elevation change throughout. Another option is walking the City Trail that meanders along the western shoreline of Boyd Lake. You can also use the paths along the shoreline created by anglers and the asphalt roadways for additional exercise.
Boating
Feel free to bring your watercraft and launch from the main boat ramp or the Heron Cove boat ramp. Boyd Lake State Park also maintains a marina with a general store where you can rent canoes, fishing boats, kayaks, mooring spots, paddle bikes, pontoon boats, slip spaces, and wave runners. It is worth noting that the Heron Cove boat ramp is for launching Jet Skis or sailboats, and the park limits waterskiing to the lake's southern half.
Swimming
You can open-swim anywhere within Boyd Lake during daylight hours as long as you are 150 feet away from facilities like the marina and boat ramps. The park does have a swimming beach located north of the campgrounds and south of the marina. The Boyd Lake swim beach includes a pavilion with rinsing showers, restrooms, a playground, a picnic area, a snack bar, and a volleyball court in the sand.
Biking
Biking is possible in the park along the City Trail, a part of Loveland's 21-mile-long Loveland Recreation Trail System loop. The trail offers riders an easy-rated paved pathway with 175 feet of vertical elevation change along 4.9 miles near Boyd Lake's western shores. Other biking path options include the asphalt roadways and the 0.4-mile-long Grassland Trail footpath.
How to Get to
Boyd Lake State Park
Boyd Lake State Park is near the town of Loveland in Colorado. You can reach the park by taking I-25 to Loveland. Exit at US Route 34 E Eisenhower Boulevard and proceed west. Take a right and head north on N Boise Avenue. That street ends at E 37th Street, where you will take a right and follow the bend as it merges into N County Road 11c. The park's lone entrance is to the right.
Entering Boyd Lake State Park
Parking is available at the overflow parking lot, the marina, the Mariner Point picnic area, Heron Cove, and the swim beach. There is a $10 vehicle fee to enter the park.
Boyd Lake State Park Per Vehicle : $10.0
At RVshare, we take pride in our love of nature and the outdoors. That's why we can proudly recommend Boyd Lake State Park to any of our RV campers reading this. If you decide to take a trip out here for your next vacation, we know you won't regret it. If you'd like, send some of your vacation pictures to [email protected] or tag us on social media so that we can take a look at what you got up to while at the park. We might even feature your photos in one of our blog posts in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions About Boyd Lake State Park
The best time of year to visit is between May and September. You will enjoy the weather and can partake in all of the water activities the park has to offer.
There is a chance for you to see over 200 bird species here, including egrets, great-horned owls, eagles, hawks, and white pelicans. Mammals you might observe include squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, muskrats, and coyotes.
All sites at the Cottonwood Campground are pull-through and will accommodate motorhomes up to 40 feet in length.
All camping sites require reservations by phone or website. Campsites cost $36 dollars per night you stay.
The park is a pet-friendly location except for the swimming beach area. Regulations require leashes of 6 feet with hand-held or secured control.
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