Aurora Reservoir trades pavement for a swim beach and a dive flag

If Quincy Reservoir is the quiet fishing cousin a few miles north, Aurora Reservoir is the one you go to when you want the whole day. It is a City of Aurora lake on the far east edge of the metro, more than two miles long, with enough going on that two people can come together and split up happily.

Summer is the headline. The city runs a roped-off swim beach from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, with lifeguards on duty during posted daytime hours. Off to the far northeast corner, divers get their own water: a designated SCUBA area where, by rule, no swimming, boating, or fishing crowds in. Sailors and windsurfers work the open water (gas motors are not allowed), and an eight-mile concrete trail rings the whole lake for biking and walking in any season.

There is more on dry land. An archery range sits below the dam with 16 target bales set from 15 to 65 yards. And the fishing carries real bragging rights: Aurora’s reservoirs have grown four Colorado state-record fish, including a tiger muskie.

A little planning makes the day easy. You need an entry pass per vehicle, a Colorado fishing license if you are 16 or older, and trailered boats must pass a watercraft inspection before they launch. Dates, hours, and fees move year to year, so check the City of Aurora’s Aurora Reservoir pages before you load the car.