Highline Lake State Park

05/28/2026

🔎 How many owls can you spot?

Flight school has official begun for our youngest Great Horned Owls! These little guys are still learning and may land in places you may not usually find them.

⚠️Please avoid the taped off area in the Lakeview Day Use Area until they are able to find a quieter place to rest.

Remember the Rule of Thumb when viewing wildlife:
➡️ Hold you arm out straight in front of you.
➡️ Make a thumbs up 👍
➡️ Close one eye
➡️⚠️ If your thumb does not cover the entire animal, you are too close!

05/12/2026

Our colorful wildlife are on display today. This Collared Lizard was sunning itself at Mack Mesa Lake.

📸: Ranger Clayton

05/08/2026

🚧Heads up! A portion of the Highline Lake Trail will be closed for approximately two weeks to complete the septic system in Sunset Ridge Campground.

In the map, the closed section is indicated in red and runs on the west side of Sunset Ridge CG. If you're riding the Highline Lake Trail counterclockwise, you will need to hop onto Mack Road near Mack Mesa Lake and ride the road to reconnect with the Highline Lake Trail as it intersects West Road, just south of the campground entrance (indicated by the orange path).

The same is true if you're travelling the trail clockwise: you will need to take West Road to Mack Road and reconnect with the trail system near Mack Mesa Lake.

We will reopen the trail sooner if construction finishes ahead of schedule. This is the last trail closure for the foreseeable future, pending any emergency trail maintenance which usually occurs right after big rain storms. Thank you for your patience!

05/05/2026

What is this Great Horned Owl doing?

Wrong answers only. 🤣

05/01/2026

Friendly Reminder: 18 Hours of Fruita is taking place in the park today (5/1) and tomorrow (5/2). 🚴‍♂️

Bookcliff Campground will be closed Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights for the event. The Day Use Area on the east side of the park will also be closed Friday and Saturday. This closure includes the beach area and boat slips.

The west side of the park, including Sunset Ridge Campground and Mack Mesa Lake remain open. Highline Lake is also open to boating, with the shoreline closures listed above.

The park will resume normal operation on Sunday, 5/3.

04/18/2026

🌠International Dark Sky Week may be coming to an end, but our commitment to preserving the night sky is a year-round effort.

We use two methods to monitor light pollution within the park. Four stationary dark sky monitors measure sky brightness each night, this data is collected monthly by our park rangers (as shown in the photograph). In addition to this data, every three months, staff and volunteers collect readings with a handheld monitor throughout the park.

These measurements are reported as SQM (Sky Quality Meter) readings, which indicate how bright or dark the night sky is. SQM values can also be compared to the Bortle Scale, which ranks night skies from 1 (the darkest skies in the world 🌌) to 9 (the brightest inner-city skies 🌃).

At Highline, our darkest quarter (April–June) averaged 21.56 SQM (about a Bortle Class 3), while our brightest quarter (October–December) averaged 21.23 SQM (closer to Class 4).

Want to try it yourself? 🔭 You can contribute observations through sites and apps such as Globe at Night or Dark Sky Meter. Make observations in your backyard, a local park, or while traveling.

04/16/2026

🌌 Go Dark for International DarkSky Week!

Light pollution doesn’t just obscure the night sky, it affects wildlife, ecosystems, and human health. The good news is that small changes can make a meaningful difference.

We are committed to protecting natural darkness by ensuring all park lighting follows the Five Principles of Responsible Lighting:
✅️Useful
✅️Targeted
✅️Low Level
✅️Controlled
✅️Warm-colored

You can take simple steps at home, too. DarkSky International offers an easy Outdoor Lighting Assessment to help you get started:
https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles/

Together, we can help preserve the night. 🌠

04/13/2026

International Dark Sky Week kicks off TODAY and excitement is building around the world.

We’re already seeing incredible momentum, with over 200 events registered globally, from star parties and night hikes to community gatherings and virtual talks. This is what it looks like when people come together to celebrate and protect the night.

We can’t wait to see what you get up to this week!

📷 Share your moments with us by tagging or using .

Learn more about International Dark Sky Week here: https://idsw.darksky.org

04/04/2026

We are proud to partner with Terry on many of the astronomy programs and improvements happening at the park. As a longtime friend of the park, Terry's knowledge, heart, and mentorship have helped Highline Lake become one of the darkest and best stargazing locations in Mesa County.

As Terry mentions in the article, his Down Under Observatory is getting a new home and we are excited to announce that it's coming to Highline Lake. This will mark the first state park in Colorado with an observatory and further protect our dark skies. 🔭

Congratulations Terry!

Renowned astrophotographer Terry Hancock has been fascinated with the night sky since his childhood when the stars, nebulae and galaxies above his head were very different from the ones he

02/24/2026

Highline Lake will reopen to boating on Sunday, March 1st at 8:00am. 🚤

As we get ready to kick off the 2026 boating season, here are a few reminders for you:

🔹The lake level is the lowest of the year in March because the Highline Canal does not begin refilling the lake until April. Unmarked hazards may be present.

🔹ANS Inspection and Decontamination hours will be 8am - 4pm daily, expanding in April. All boats must be inspected prior to launch and all boats MUST be decontaminated upon exit. The park is currently installing an ANS dip tank, the first in Colorado. This dip tank will speed up decontaminations for larger boats when completed but active construction may be happening near the Inspection Station in the meantime. Please be aware of construction signage and staff instructions until the project is complete.

🔹Boats must be currently registered and our team in the Visitor Center can assist with renewals or new registrations between 8am and 4pm daily. They can also help you with free life jackets to borrow for the day if you forget yours.

🔹The age for operating a motorboat in Colorado changed within the last few years. You must be 18 years of age or older, unless you are 14-17 and have taken and passed a Colorado Boating Safely Course and have your certificate with you. Classes can be found on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website. Children 13 and under are never permitted to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft.

🔹For a list of required equipment for vessels, such as life jackets, fire extinguishers, etc., please visit the CPW website or check in with a Park Ranger at the Visitor Center.

📸 Photo from the Highline Lake archives: 1977 Park Rangers at the East Ramp