Lemon Reservoir•San Juan National Forest

00:00     Title
00:15     Lemon Reservoir
04:39     Andrews Lake Day Use Area
08:04     Haviland Lake State Wildlife Area & Chris Park
12:04     Vallecito Lake
17:08     Lake Nighthorse Durango Recreation Area
18:33     Bakers Bridge
21:26     Fin
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When the midsummer temperatures reach a peak, that is the best time to seek some relief from the extreme heat. In order to find some cool relief, one must simply head north, head for the mountains or head for the water. The Lemon Reservoir Lake actually does fit in all three of these chill worthy categories and the historic town of Durango is nearby! 

Lemon Reservoir is located in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. This lake is one of many flood retention dam reservoirs in the San Juan National Forest that offers plenty of cool water for fun in the sun. Lake Nighthorse and Vallecito Lake are also located in this section of the forest and these two reservoir lakes are managed as recreation areas. Lake Nighthorse offers light craft rentals, while Vallecito Lake is a bit more commercialized. Many lodges, boat rentals and bait shacks can be found near the Vallecito Lake shoreline. Some visitors are attracted to the commercialized lakefront playground atmosphere of Lake Nighthorse and Vallecito Lake. Others who seek a more peaceful setting where the sounds of Mother Nature can be easily heard will definitely prefer Lemon Reservoir. This destination is located in a much more peaceful mountain pine forest setting that is not commercialized at all. Of the three lakes near Durango, the Lemon Reservoir is the best choice if you relish the thought of a wilderness experience.

The Lemon Reservoir is managed much more like a wilderness area than a lakeside family fun park. There are no watercraft rental businesses, cabin resorts or restaurants along the shoreline.  For those who seek some time to get back into nature, the peaceful mode of Lemon Reservoir will suit them just fine!  

Lemon Reservoir is open for light craft boating, wind surfing and paddle-boarding. The fishing is good at this hatchery stocked lake and a few award winning catches have been landed in the past. Lemon Reservoir also offers camping, hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing, so there are plenty of things for the landlubbers to do. Observing Mother Nature is a pastime in this picturesque setting and the Lemon Reservoir is most definitely a bird watcher’s paradise.

Lemon Reservoir certainly is an attractive place to be when the summertime heat reaches the boiling point. There are a lot of small lakes along the Million Dollar Highway in the San Juan National Forest, yet few offer the ease of access that can be found at the Lemon Reservoir. Best of all, this lake is more like a nature preserve than a commercial enterprise, so it is easy to leave the modern world behind!