The Schweitzer Lake State Park staff have just completed a morning of lakeside activities as part of the Get to Know Your State Parks program held each year. An energetic group of elementary school students finished up the morning by enjoying the last days of summer at the lake.
Park Manager Scott Rist says, "We're doing the main new road through the park, and then it'll be one campground that'll have 11 sites and 3 cabins."
The project has moved to phase 2, where a bid will go out for the architectural design of the new visitor center and some nearby day-use activities.
The project began in 2024 after being chosen by Governor Jared Polis as part of an effort to acquire new state parks and systematically modernize existing underdeveloped parks such as Schweitzer Lake State Park.
Scott Rist says many small improvements have been made to the park, like a walkway entry for paddleboarders and a concrete wall for fishers to sit on. Three new shade shells can be seen on the east side of the park. Other completed projects include a low ropes course near the entrance and new picnic tables on the walking trail.
One of the biggest projects was the reconstruction of the Garnet Mesa Dam and spillway. That project cost roughly $4 million and was necessary for safety. Rist says the spillway was redone in the summer of 2025. It cost $4 million where to tear all the old spillway out, which has been built in the 50s. The replacement is designed for today's water projections.
The most exciting construction project taking place now is the building of a campground that will initially have 11 RV sites and 3 modern camping cabins. Construction will also include a 5 to 6 acre pond for paddleboarding. A visitor center is also planned and at least 3 playgrounds. Each of these projects will have a unique theme that mimics the history of the Uncompahgre Valley. There will also be an amphitheater for hosting musical events.
Rist says the new visitor center will look like an old grain shed. One new playground will look like a pirate ship, another like a barn with a silo, and a third inspired by Native American teepees that reflect the history of the valley.
The park will also have new apple and peach trees for visitors to pick from.
Visitors can expect a new and improved entrance into the park, more day use, and extended camping stays on a year-round basis. The yearly economic impact to the area is estimated to be between $24 and $26 million per year, with roughly 300,000 to 350,000 visitors each year. The total build-out for the park is estimated to be between $60 to $70 million. And while that's a huge chunk of change, Rist says there are several money streams making the park renovation possible.
"That money comes from several different sources," he says. "First is the Keep Colorado Wild pass that's on your vehicle. The other one is Great Outdoors Colorado, otherwise known as GOCO. The other one is federal money, which is the Land and Water Conservation Funds. And then lastly, it's just donations."
A tentative construction completion date for the campsites will be July 1st, 2027. Rist says he's hopeful that the investment will pay off for future generations to come. For KVNF News, I'm Lisa Young.
