Navajo State Park is Archuleta County's big-water boating spot

Most of Archuleta County’s water is rivers and small mountain lakes, but the county also has one big reservoir. Navajo State Park sits near Arboles in the southwest corner, on the Colorado end of Navajo Reservoir, which stretches across the state line into New Mexico. It is the place locals go for true boating water, with a long boat ramp and room to spread out.

A couple of rules come with that. Navajo is a Colorado state park, so getting in means a parks pass, either a daily pass or an annual one. If you boat in Colorado regularly, the annual Keep Colorado Wild Pass is worth knowing about.

The other rule protects the water itself. Motorboats and sailboats in Colorado must be inspected for aquatic nuisance species, like zebra and quagga mussels, before launching, and they need an ANS stamp. The idea is simple: a boat that arrives still wet from another state can carry tiny hitchhikers that ruin a fishery and clog water systems. Cleaning, draining, and drying your boat between waters is the everyday habit behind the inspections.

Hours, ramp status, and inspection times change with the season and water levels, so this note does not quote them.

For passes, boat inspection requirements, and current conditions at Navajo State Park, see Colorado Parks and Wildlife.