Canoe Colorado
Performance Canoes and Sea Kayaks

Gross Reservoir

Gross Reservoir is located on South Boulder Creek in the foothills southwest of Boulder. The reservoir has a small surface area of 440 acres, however due to the tight nature of the canyon it has a shoreline of over 10 miles. The dam is 340 feet above the creek bed, and the reservoir itself is long and deep.

The main boat ramp is Osprey Point, located on the southwest corner of the reservoir. It has outhouses and parking for about 20 vehicles.

A nicer ramp can be found on the north side of the reservoir, at the Boat House. This location has a great beach, nice shady trees, and fewer people.

This reservoir is at over 7,200 feet in elevation, and is prone to high mountain conditions, including strong wind and thunderstorms.

Paddling Season:
Memorial Day to September 30th. Boating is not allowed from October 1st to Memorial Day, except for whitewater kayakers on South Boulder Creek using the Osprey Point Take-out.

Types of Craft:
Sea Kayaks, Canoes, Rowing Sculls     Car top carried boats only!
No sail boats, no windsurfers, no belly boats, no motors as per Denver Water

How to get there:
From Golden/ Denver, take hwy 93 north to hwy 72 (Coal Creek Canyon). Go west on hwy 72 to Crescent Village. As hwy 72 turns west just outside of town, there will be a paved road going north, possibly with references to Gross Reservoir on signs. Take this road (technically hwy 85 but I didn't see it marked as such) until the pavement ends. At the end of the pavement, turn right and follow it around for several miles to Gross Dam. At the Denver Water Headquarters, there will be a sign showing various access points. Driving time from Golden was about 40 minutes.

From Boulder take Flagstaff Road west until it becomes Gross Dam Road.

Camping:
The Denver Water Board doesn't want anyone camping on their property. However we encountered several people camping along the reservoir along Winiger Ridge. That is a 4 wheel drive road that gives backcountry access. If you don't have a 4x4, then Gross Reservoir is strictly a day use area.

GPS Coordinates:
Osprey Point  N 39 56.194'  W 105 22.386'
Boat House  N 39 57.206'  W 105 21.543'

Maps:
USGS 7.5 Quads
Tungsten, CO
Eldorado Springs, CO

The following map was created using National Geographic TOPO! Colorado software which offers complete 7.5 min maps for all of Colorado.

The following is the standard map used on the signs at Gross Reservoir. It shows the roads and access much better than the TOPO map, but the TOPO shows the nature of the terrain.

These photos were taken July 22, 2005  Trip participants were Marek Uliasz, Eric Niles and Eric Nyre

Gross Dam This is a view of the dam as seen from the Gross Dam Road close to Coal Creek Canyon	Osprey Point Boat Ramp This ramp is for hand carried boats only. There is no parking for trailers, so boats must be car topped.	Marek going up Boulder Creek Arm We ran into Marek shortly after launching. He had already been up the Boulder Creek Arm, but we decided to go again.	Marek the Photographer Mareks website also has many photos of his trips. Here he is taking a photo of me, taking a photo of him.	South Boulder Creek There is a nice cascade where the creek enters the reservoir.
Eric Niles in Boulder Creek Arm This is typical of the scenery of the reservoir, steep walls dropping straight into the deep water.	Alden 18 in rest area We took a break on a nice grassy area next to the creek. Marek was in a kayak, Eric Niles was in a canoe, and I brought this rowing shell.	South Boulder Creek A view from our rest area. There was a trash can nearby, but many people ignored it, leaving cigarette butts and other debris on the ground.	Marek learning to row While we were taking a break, Marek borrowed my scull to learn how it handles.	Marek returns After about 10 minutes, Marek returned from rowing along the South Boulder Creek arm
Eric Niles paddling to Winniger Ridge After exploring the South Boulder Creek Arm, we decided to paddle up the other arms as well.	End of Winniger Ridge Arm This arm is just north of Osprey Point, across the lake from the Windy Point Picnic Area	North Arm as seen from the Boat House Ramp We were getting tired, so we let Marek paddle up the North Arm, while we kicked back in the shade at the Boat House Ramp.	Another view from the Boat House Ramp The peninsula on the left blocks this small bay from the dam to the south.	View from Peninsula This is looking west towards the Osprey Point ramp and South Boulder Creek Arm
Gross Dam This is a photo showing the western half of the dam. That parking area isn't the best point to launch a boat. The climb to the water is very steep.	Boat House Beach Another view of my Alden 18, kicking back at the Boat House Beach. This is the nicest launch we encountered, however we did not drive the road and do not know it's condition.	Approaching Osprey Point This is shot from the scull, with Osprey Point directly behind me (in sculls you face backwards). Eric Niles can be seen in the distance.	Eric Approaching Osprey Point Eric has caught up to me, and we're getting ready to sprint to the take-out

 

Written by Eric Nyre