Sylvan Lake State Park

I recently camped and hiked at Sylvan Lake State Park (2200 W Brush Creek Rd, Eagle, CO 81631), and it’s a stunning high-mountain retreat that’s perfect for nature lovers. Nestled in the White River National Forest at 8,500 feet, this park offers a serene escape with a mix of breathtaking scenery and solid amenities, though it has a few drawbacks to note. Camping (4/5): The camping experience at Sylvan Lake is fantastic, with 44 campsites split between Elk Run and Fisherman’s Paradise campgrounds. I stayed at a lakeside site in Fisherman’s Paradise, which had gorgeous views of the 42-acre lake and surrounding peaks. The sites come with picnic tables, fire rings, and access to clean vault toilets and coin-operated showers (summer only). The lack of hookups wasn’t a big issue, as there’s a dump station and water spigots nearby. Cabins and yurts are also available for a cozier stay—I saw families enjoying the yurts, which sleep up to six and have solar lighting. The campground is pet-friendly (leashed pets only), which was great for my dog. However, some sites, especially lakeside ones, are close together, reducing privacy during peak season. Also, the absence of cell service is a double-edged sword—perfect for unplugging but tough for emergencies or planning. Hiking (4.5/5): The hiking here is a highlight! The 1.5-mile Sylvan Lake Trail is an easy, family-friendly loop around the lake with stunning views of aspen groves, coniferous forests, and the clear, trout-filled lake. I also tackled the West Brush Creek Trail, a longer hike with vibrant wildflowers and chances to spot wildlife like elk and bald eagles. The trails are well-maintained, and the surrounding White River National Forest offers more challenging routes for experienced hikers. The only downside was occasional trail crowding on weekends, and some signage could be clearer to avoid confusion at trail junctions. Good Features: • Scenery: The lake, surrounded by aspens, pines, and dramatic peaks, is postcard-perfect, ideal for photography and relaxation. • Activities: Non-motorized boating (kayak/canoe rentals available Memorial Day to Labor Day), fishing for trout, and winter activities like snowshoeing and ice fishing make it a year-round destination. • Amenities: Clean facilities, including flush toilets in summer, coin showers, and a visitor center with helpful staff and wildlife displays. • Wildlife: Saw mule deer and hummingbirds; the park’s ecosystem is vibrant with chances to spot bears, beavers, or pine martens. • Accessibility: Just 16 miles south of Eagle, with a decent parking lot and ADA-compliant sites and cabins. Bad Features: • Crowds and Privacy: Lakeside sites can feel cramped, and weekends get busy, making it less secluded than expected for a remote park. • No Cell Service: Great for disconnecting, but plan ahead as there’s no signal for navigation or emergencies. • Weather: At 8,500 feet, weather changes fast—rain and cold hit unexpectedly even in summer, so pack layers and rain gear. • Limited Swimming/Boating: Swimming is prohibited, and boating was restricted during my visit due to bacteria concerns, which was disappointing. • Access Road: The final 5 miles on a dirt road can be rough for low-clearance vehicles, so drive carefully. Overall: Sylvan Lake State Park is a gem for camping and hiking, with its serene lake, diverse trails, and abundant wildlife. The lack of privacy at some sites and occasional restrictions on lake activities were minor letdowns, but the natural beauty and solid amenities make it worth the trip. Pro tips: Book campsites early (up to 6 months in advance via cpwshop.com), bring warm clothes, and check lake conditions before planning to boat. I’d recommend this for families, anglers, or anyone seeking a Rocky Mountain escape—just come prepared for variable weather and crowds on weekends

This is our second time exploring the area. We took a different side road and discovered some beautiful camping areas. We will be back to explore more!

Sylvan is an incredible place to camp. My friends and I go every year and book the group site. Be prepared for other campers to walk right through your site with zero care. It happens quite often and is pretty annoying. Especially if you have dogs. They took down the chain at the top of the group site which makes it accessible for anyone to drive into the area as well as use your private restrooms. It would be nice if they kept others out of the camp area that you pay for.

It's nice, but busier than I would have thought for a no-cell service, dry camping park. Lots more people on a Saturday, parking in and walking through your campsite. Decent fishing with a lot of pressure on weekends. Great hiking loop around the lake. But again, on weekends, be prepared for lots of kids yelling and running around. If you want to enjoy paddle board and kayaking, anytime is okay. If you want to enjoy fishing or peace and quiet, avoid the weekends.

If you're craving a break from the hustle, Sylvan Lake State Park is the perfect spot for a true digital detox. Nestled in the heart of Colorado’s Rockies, there’s zero cell service, so you can completely disconnect—no news, no stock market updates, nothing but nature. Trust me, you’ll want to kick back, crack open a cold one, and settle in by the fire as the stars slowly take over the night sky. And if you're lucky, like we were, you might even get a surprise visit from a curious fox, which just adds to the magic of this place. The peaceful vibe here is unmatched. The lake is stunning, surrounded by towering pines and mountains—it’s like camping in a postcard. Whether you're hiking around the lake, fishing, or just chilling by your tent or RV, it’s the perfect place to recharge and forget about the outside world for a while. We had an absolute blast and can’t recommend it enough!

June 8, 2024 Ashley and I took a walk around Sylvan Lake State Park in Eagle Colorado!

Nice park loved it plenty to explore, plan on making this an every yr camp

We rented the 3 bedroom cabin for 2 nights. What a beautiful spot! The cabin had the essentials, an amazing view and we loved the electric fire once the sun went down 🏔️ the park ranger came by to make sure all was good and we had a quiet, relaxing weekend. Will definitely stay again.

Wonderful area that has lost a lot of charm due to volume and registration system. Too many rv's and a loss to the local community. It has been sad to watch it be on over-run by the state park system over the years. Nice cabins, great rv pads, great campsites if you want to be next to many people and can make a reservation.

Hidden gem! My FAVORITE place to paddle board in the summer and you can snowshoe and ice fish here in the winter. There are several trails for hiking and some really great views. There are camping spots and cabins you can pay for. We love to bring our lunch and spend the day here.

We loved fishing here. The lake is remote and off the beaten path, which we enjoyed! Fish were biting and we loved it so much, we returned a second day!

Sylvan Lake claims to be the most beautiful of all the Colorado state parks and who am I to disagree. My wife and I stayed there for three nights and enjoyed every minute of it. First of all, the setting is wonderful. Our tent has large openings on all four sides and there was a great view from each one. Mountains surround a beautiful lake and, if you listen carefully, you can hear a babbling stream running out of the lake. There's a hiking trail around the lake which proved a bit of a challenge for our 70+ year old bods. But we made it. Although about halfway around we wished that we had rented one of the canoes available for such a purpose. It turns out that the ranger station also rents fishing gear as well. All you need is a valid fishing license. The staff was helpful and cheerful. They had firewood available for purchase. And, in addition to flush toilets, the restrooms had hot showers. Just bring your quarters. And your camera.

Do NOT use Waze to get here. You will end up in the movie The Hills Have Eyes. I used Waze thinking that it had never let me down before. Ugh It took me to a back entrance to the park which I never found. I ended up on some guy's property who came running out yelling at me. Asking me if I was using GPS and that I needed to contact Google and let them know that wasn't a road. It was really odd though because then he said he wouldn't take my car on that road to get there. So was there a road? Who knows. I had to back track to Aspen to get my GPS signal back. When I got back home to the Springs and re-looked at the way Waze was taking me for some reason it wasn't seeing the dirt road to enter the park on the North Side only the dirt road to get to the park on the South Side. I should've printed a map... I know. I did look at a map when I got to the camp site that someone I was meeting had and sure enough there is a dirt road on the backside. The park was pretty nice. There is a small lake and nice hikes. Camping was nice as well. I rented a paddle board which was $25 for 4 hours. You can also rent one for the whole day too. There are only 2 paddle boards. Bathrooms have light from solar panels which turn off at 10pm. Showers are coin operated so bring change.

So beautiful here. Stayed in a yurt for two days. Set amidst the aspen. Went fishing, hiking and paddle boarding. Caught a small rainbow trout, so we did catch and release. Lots of others seemed to have fish too. Hiked around the lake, about 1.5 miles. The water was cold, but the paddle boarding was great for a hot day. A few suggestions. . . Bring an air mattress to sleep on, the futons alone are uncomfortable. Also, keep putting on sunscreen at this altitude. Will definitely be back.

One of the coolest place in Colorado. The camping, fishing, hiking etc. all are in a beautiful place. Been coming up to camp is this place since I was a little kid and I think the park has fueled my love for the the out doors. We have used place a jumping point to hit a few of the high peaks around the area. Just a short drive up the mountain and you are at tree line and you cab begin the hike up higher to the peaks. The cabins are very comfortable and warn in the winter. The camping is also very well laid out, restrooms very close and clean. Hiking can be very tough right out of the park, everything is up steep trails but worth the effort. Fishing, one fall trip we had one of the coolest events happen that I have ever witnessed in the wild. In the fall the trout where spawning. We had hiked around to the end of the lake while fishing, where the creek that feeds the lake we came upon the trout spawning. The creek is very shallow, maybe two to three inches and the fish where swimming up stream to to spawn. Hundreds of fish swimming upstream to spawn.If you wanted to catch a fish all you had had to do was reach down and grab one, something of which I would not think of doing but what a cool sight to see in nature. Getting up the the park is a little bit of of a drive but not to bad, I wold recommend taking it easy on the drive as many deer will cross the road and I have heard many people say that hitting a deer is quite common on that drive. Rent a boat from the park to fish, it seems that it improves the fishing on the lake. From the shore line I think the trout can see you better, trout can be very easy to spook and I have found that a boat is less likely to spook the fish and you will have better luck hauling in fish. Camping sites are best near the lake, some of the lower site are pretty far from the lake which can be quite a hike if you forget something. Making a reservation through the Colorado State Park service is high recommend. The park is almost always full on the weekends in the middle of summer and camping is not allowed accept in the park.

A most beautiful park way up in the mountains. Upon entry you need a day pass at the Ranger station which has a gift shop and some illustrations of animals in the area. Lots of hummingbirds outside which were gorgeous feeding on the various feeders. Drive up the road about 3 miles (left road) to camp area is gorgeous drive along the river. Camping is available up in this area with river fishing, animal watching. ight side road-gravel. Lake is gorgeous. Can walk around lake, its probably about a mile around. Fishing is fun with big night crawlers, trout love them. There are plenty of animal tracks around the lake as well. Altitude is high so take plenty of rest stops walking about. Its a very clean park as well. Well worth the drive even if only for sight seeing.

I have stayed in the Yurts, cabins, tent camped, and visited a wide variety of trails. The cabins and Yurts are family friendly. If your significant other is into camping it can be quite romantic. I do quite a bit of camping and believe this is one of the more scenic parks in Colorado. ALL the trails and parks in Colorado are getting overrun with tourists. If you want to see the park empty try Winter camping. It's actually quite fun. There is plenty of wildlife to see and if you have 4x4 can explore higher up. It's worth the trip. The place is going under renovation in 2018. http://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/10/sylvan-lake-park-facilities-closing/ The place is already amazing. I think the renovation will make it even more so.

Beautiful park. Well maintained and clean! Fish jumping everywhere. Secluded coves and picnic areas.

Beautiful camping grounds but a little lumpy for tents. ATV parks, fishing, yurts, cabins, flush toilets and coin op showers. Camp ground is set in the mountains on a lake. Amazing views of the mountains, wildlife, flowers...nature. The day was a constant buzz of humming birds. The only down side to the place is there is one bath house for 20ish sites and one dumpster. Made it a bit of a pain to go back and forth but still the time spent there made up for it. It's a little out of the way from town and it's a narrowish dirt road to it. Wood gathering is permitted which is nice. The price is also reasonable other than paying for vehicle passes when you don't plan on using it. I would go back!