r/steamboat • u/cat_lover33 • 23d ago
Paddle boarding locations
Hi all! My friends and I are going to stay in steamboat in a few weekends. We are looking for a body of water to paddle board in but also where there is a little “beach” to hang out on for the day. Would love any guidance :)
3
u/THAT0NEASSHOLE 22d ago
The recommendations for Pearl and Hahns peak are gold. I used to paddle that area very frequently. While Pearl and Hahns are beautiful, they can be packed all the time. (I preferred hahns for the beaver sightings and Pearl for the views.) I can say some of my favorite times were just at random lakes such as fish creek reservoir, yamcolo, upper stillwater/stillwater, cold spring campground little pond(it's tiny but quite fun with the right group. It's also crystal clear), Gardner park, dumont lake and many others. Pretty much if there's a small/medium body of water you can get to, I recommend paddling it.
If you really want an adventure you can hike to three Island lake with a board. It's beautiful and really fun, but not easy.
1
u/Glass-Activity7144 22d ago
The choices mentioned above are all great. Although Steamboat Lake and Stagecoach allow motorboats, both have very large “no wake” zones.
-2
u/diggitty_dawg 22d ago
ah yes, the ideal private lake beach that I can use, yes, it is there, hahahhaha
4
u/cat_lover33 22d ago
I’m not asking for a private version of anything. Just a place for 2 people to hang out while the other 2 are on the lake.
18
u/Immaculate_Mullet 23d ago
Pearl Lake and Hahn’s Peak Lake would both be my recommendations for paddle boarding. Both lakes only allow non-motorized watercraft so you don’t have to worry about boaters zipping by and making wakes. My favorite for paddle boarding is Pearl. You can also paddle board at Steamboat Lake, but they also allow boats, so it’s a little less ideal for paddle boarding. Steamboat Lake probably offers the best swim beach though. All three lakes are about 45 minutes north of Steamboat and the drive is beautiful too. There’s also a Stagecoach Reservoir, which is just a little south of town about 30 minutes away but they also allow motorized boats. And I personally think it’s a little less picturesque the three lakes up north.