Steamboat Lake State Park

{{short description|State park in Colorado, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Steamboat Lake State Park

| iucn_category =

| photo = Steamboat_Lake_State_Park_-_Misha_Abend_01.jpg

| photo_alt =

| photo_caption = The north side of the lake towards the marina and the Dutch Hill Campground

| photo_width =275px

| map = USA Colorado

| map_width = 260

| map_caption =

| location = Routt County, Colorado, United States

| nearest_city = Steamboat Springs, CO

| coordinates = {{coord|40|48|31|N|106|57|09|W|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| area = {{convert|2820|acre}}

| established = 1966

| visitation_num = 564,010

| visitation_year = 2021

| visitation_ref = {{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Colorado State Parks Region Annual Visitation Report |url=https://ccionline.org/download/2023_priorities/State-Park-attendance-2019-to-2021.pdf |website=Colorado Counties, Inc.}}

| governing_body = Colorado Parks & Wildlife

}}

Steamboat Lake State Park is a Colorado state park located in Routt County {{convert|27|mi}} north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and near the community of Hahns Peak Village. The {{convert|2820|acre|adj=on}} park land west of Hahns Peak was acquired in 1966. It and the {{convert|1101|acre}} reservoir was opened to the public in 1972.{{cite journal |last1=Springhorn |first1=Anne |title=Embers: News and Events for Campers |journal=Better Camping |date=October 1972 |volume=13 |issue=10 |page=15 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_better-camping-and-hiking_1972-10_13_10/page/15 |access-date=21 August 2023 |publisher=Woodall Publishing Co |language=English}}{{cite web |url=https://cpw.state.co.us/state-parks/steamboat-lake-state-park |title=Steamboat Lake State Park |author= |date=n.d. |website=Colorado Parks and Wildlife |publisher= |access-date=October 24, 2024 |quote=}} As of 2021 park facilities include a visitors center, a marina, boat ramps, campsites, cabins, picnic sites and {{convert|5.5|mi|km}} of hiking trails. Plant communities include sagebrush shrubland, quaking aspen and lodgepole pine forests, willow carr and marsh. Commonly seen mammalian wildlife species include mule deer and red fox. The reservoir attracts many species of shorebirds and waterfowl, including sandhill cranes that nest in the wetland areas.

The reservoir creating the lake on Willow Creek was completed in 1967 and is fed by many streams including Mill Creek, Floyd Creek, Larson Creek, Dutch Creek, and Deep Creek.{{cite book |last1=Kleinsorge |first1=Martin G. |title=Exploring Colorado State Parks |date=1992 |publisher=University Press of Colorado |location=Niwot, Colorado |isbn=978-0-87081-256-9 |pages=222-227 |url=https://archive.org/details/exploringcolorad0000klei/page/222 |access-date=20 June 2024 |language=en}} Though used for recreation the construction of the dam was partly funded by the owners of the Hayden Generation Station to provide water to cool generators.{{cite web |author=Aspen Journalism |title=Toxic algae blooms in reservoirs near Steamboat detected thanks to new state protocol |url=https://waterdesk.org/2021/01/toxic-algae-blooms-in-reservoirs-near-steamboat-detected-thanks-to-new-state-protocol/ |website=The Water Desk |access-date=20 June 2024 |date=19 January 2021}} The present location of the park was homesteaded by James and Rose Wheeler in 1921. The original location of the Wheeler's home was covered by the creation of the lake.