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Waneka Lake, Lafayette
| Waneka Lake Park has at its center a level trail of a little more than a mile that circles the lake. Along the way, there are views of the water, Boulder's Front Range, and the Back Range of the Continental Divide. Periodically, exercise stations have been erected, encouraging us to work more than our walking muscles. We are invited to do hip twists, pull ups, ab crunches, to climb a rope, play basketball, and more.
Further, there are many intersections with irrigation-ditch and neighborhood paths. A short walk takes us to the edge of the Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, north of Waneka Lake. This is a grassy, reedy area rich in wildfowl and the calls of Redwing Blackbirds. Other paths wander east and south to South Boulder Road and then back north to the lake again.
Waneka Lake is a good area for relaxed, natural and suburban wandering.
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| Getting There
In Boulder, east on Baseline Road. Pass 95th St. and turn right on Curia Dr., just before the intersection with highway 287. Curia winds through a residential neighborhood. Driving 0.5 miles brings you to the east entrance to Waneka Lake Park. Continuing 0.9 miles farther takes you to the west entrance of the park.
Click on the above thumbnails for photos of two trail maps. The first is a small part of the trail map for all of Boulder County, available from the Boulder Area Trails Coalition (link on home page). The second is my hand drawing on an older Open Space map. On this second one, "TH" stands for trailhead and marks three parking lots. The lot on Baseline is currently (April, 2009) closed because the land immediately to the south is leased for agricultural use. The other two are the park entrances referred to above.
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