Though Southwest Colorado saw the return of colder weather this week, Mancos State Park is ready for the summer season, Park Manager Scott Elder said.
“It’s coming quickly,” Elder said. “It’s always an exciting time of year.”
Areas for all-day use are now open at the park, including the campground, Elder said. The road on the west side of the park also is open, he said.
Programming at the park starts in earnest on Memorial Day weekend, with events each day. Nature walks, music performances and other events will continue through the summer, Elder said.
Jackson Lake has already received a full fish stock, he said. It will be a relatively high water year for the lake, he said.
“We expect to have a full lake again,” Elder said. “Early season fishing will be excellent.”
As other area reservoirs have banned boating because of concerns about invasive mussels, Elder said he expects to have inspectors and allow trailered boating at Jackson Lake.
Boaters have been required to have their crafts pre-inspected. They have then dropped off a seal and receipt of inspection at a dropbox at Mancos State Park prior to launching their boats, Elder said.
This year, he expects to have inspectors checking for mussels at the boat ramp during daytime hours, he said. However, the park still will be following the pre-inspection process, he said.
“We’re hoping to have boating for this season,” Elder said. “We have invested quite a bit to get good signage at the boat ramp and the pre-inspection protocol.”
If they haven’t already had their boat inspected, boaters can call the park at 970-882-2213 to find out if there is an inspector working the boat ramp, Elder said.
Some fire mitigation in ponderosa pine forests in the park will start the first week of May and last for several weeks, Elder said. There may be some disturbance to park visitors as crews work to maintain the health of the forest, he said.
For more information about Mancos State Park, visit the park website at cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Mancos.
