Elkhead Reservoir offers flat-water boating near Craig

If you want to put a boat on flat water near Craig, Elkhead Reservoir is a natural place to start. The reservoir sits northeast of town, off U.S. Highway 40, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife runs it as a state park. It is a working lake for boating, fishing, swimming, and camping, and it sees steady use through the warmer months.

Two things are worth knowing before you load up. First, like every state park, Elkhead requires a park pass or the Keep Colorado Wild Pass to enter, separate from any fishing license. Second, if your watercraft is motorized or arrives on a trailer — that includes sailboats and personal watercraft, not just motorboats — you must stop at the aquatic nuisance species (ANS) inspection station before you launch. These checks look for zebra and quagga mussels and other invaders that can hitch a ride on a hull or in bilge water and wreck a fishery. Arrive with your boat clean, drained, and dry to speed things up.

The boat ramp and the inspection station are seasonal, so the launch window does not run all year. The park spans the Moffat–Routt county line and shares an office with Yampa River State Park near Hayden.

For ramp dates, current ANS rules, and pass options, check the Colorado Parks and Wildlife page for Elkhead Reservoir State Park before you tow.