Highline Lake State Park expecting big crowds for Memorial Day Weekend

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - The unofficial start of the summer season is right around the corner as Memorial Day weekend is just a few days away. Highline Lake State Park officials are expecting the crowds to come out in full force.

Many campers have already gotten a head start on their camping, but more are expected to pitch their tents this weekend. However, park officials said would-be campers shouldn’t expect to be able to find available campsites.

“Our campgrounds have been booked for almost six months now,” said Alan Martinez, Highline Lake park manager. “Unfortunately, with the reservation system, you have to plan well in advance for holiday weekends.”

Martinez said, however, there are other amenities people can enjoy that don’t require a reservation. Boating and day-use facilities such as picnicking are available to recreators on a first come first serve basis. The park does have a limited amount of grills and tables available, and Martinez recommends to bring your own if you can. If you do want to take your boat out on the water, it’s best to arrive early.

“We’ll also be hitting capacity with boating,” said Martinez. “We do have a 30 boat limit so once we’re at 30 boats we hold until somebody leaves.”

If you do have a camping reservation, with no current restrictions in place, campers are allowed to have fires, but Martinez urges everyone to be cautious.

“Right now, there are no fire restrictions, so if you’re camping you’re allowed to have your campfire,” said Martinez. “You can have your charcoal grills. “I know they’re calling for some wind this weekend so if campers are out, we just ask people to use caution so if we do have high winds, don’t have a huge bonfire. You can have a small fire but just pay attention to the conditions.”

Due to boat capacities, Martinez recommends boaters who want to have a higher chance of being able to use their boats, to possibly visit other neighboring reservoirs Crawford or Rifle Gap, which have higher boat capacities.

Copyright 2022 KKCO. All rights reserved.