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Barr Lake State Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 2,355 Google reviews · Running trail in Brighton, Colorado · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- 21 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Barr Lake State Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Lake & wetlands with miles of nature trails, birdwatching, boating & fishing, plus a Nature Center.
What runners say about Barr Lake State Park
“The trails were well maintained, clean, and easy to navigate for my toddler.”
“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Beautiful Spot in Brighton, CO As a photographer and drone photographer, I love coming here whenever I’m in Colorado.”
Had a great experience trying to get some bald eagle photos, walking the trail and enjoying this natural habitat with my lady. I wish others would mind the signs and keep their voices down as to not scare away the wild life. But not the parks fault. This is not a play park for the kids.
We had a great time visiting the park & absolutely loved the nature center. The trails were well maintained, clean, and easy to navigate for my toddler. There are picnic areas with grills and lots of shaded seating. Beautiful wildlife was a major highlight for me. We saw red winged blackbirds a sweet fawn.
Beautiful walk and scenery. Part of this is a Wildlife sanctuary, so dogs can only go right after the bridge. Bald Eagles are nesting in the area! If you walk around the lake 1 time, it's the same as hiking a 14er, but on flat ground, pretty cool! Very clean and well kept.
Great park: we went on a Sunday late afternoon in mid January and it was beautiful. We only got to explore a small portion of the trail going around the lake bc we really took our time (and saw a bald eagle at dusk!) but we'll definitely be coming back to check out more of it soon.
Trail conditions & character
“Going here at sunrise, this park has some excellent views of the distant mountains, lakeside overlooks, and several birdwatching stands.”
“If you walk around the lake 1 time, it's the same as hiking a 14er, but on flat ground, pretty cool!”
“Great bird observation room whee you can hear the birds live even though you are inside the building; they have a few bald Eagles and an 8 mile hiking trail.”
“The visitor center has great educational displays and the boardwalk had beautiful views!”
“Part of this is a Wildlife sanctuary, so dogs can only go right after the bridge.”
Plan your run at Barr Lake State Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Loop distance21 mi back to where you parked. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitecpw.state.co.us
- Phone(303) 659-6005
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 5 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 5 AM–10 PM |
Running trails near Brighton
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Reunion Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 657 reviews
Lakeside local hangout featuring a playground, barn and a coffee shop with mountain views.
