Into the High Country
This State Wildlife Area is a delight to campers, fisherman, hikers, and boaters alike, and is a state wildlife area, where deer, bear and moose are easy to spot.
Features of the Recreational Site
- The Campground: The campground meanders up a mountainside above Big Meadows Reservoir in a series of 3 loops. Sites offer campfire ring, picnic tables, and access to toilets and drinking water. No electricty.
Learn More and Book a Site - Hikers and horseback riders will enjoy the nearby, 6-mile Archuleta Trail, that gives access to the Weminuche Wilderness
- Fishing: Endless reservoir banks and an accessible fishing pier, located on the north shore of the reservoir, allows anglers to cast for rainbow, brown and brook trout.
- Boaters have use of a boat ramp to gain access to more than 600 acres of water. No wakes are allowed, trolling motors are okay. Canoes and float tubes are allowed.
To Acces the water at Big Meadows Reservior:
All visitors aged 16+ are required to purchase a State Wildlife Area pass
or carry a valid Colorado hunting or fishing license!
To Get There
Take Hwy 160 southwest of town 12 miles and turn right on FSR 410 to Big Meadows Reservoir, a 600-acre lake with a spillway waterfall, boat ramp, fishing pier and amenities.
Nearby Shaw Lake and Hunter's Lake
Depending on road conditions, you may choose to continue past Big Meadows for 3 miles to Shaw Lake. If you still have a few hours of daylight, drive an additional 11 miles to the parking area for a short walk into Hunter’s Lake. A nice 1-mile hiking trail circles the lake and gives fishermen access to the trout swimming in its waters.
