On the last day of June, a Reporter-Herald photographer shot the Boyd Lake marina sitting in so little water that the docks looked beached. Two days earlier, Colorado Parks and Wildlife had closed the lake to boating for the rest of the season. The boat ramps were sitting in two to three feet of water, and no more water was expected that summer.
Four months later, Boyd Lake is a different park. With no wakes, no ski boats and no marina, the lake's pull this fall comes from paddling and from the paved trail that runs along it toward Seven Lakes Park. That trail is now in the middle of a rolling repair schedule. The City of Loveland is fixing four Recreation Trail bridges in sequence, and the first one sits at the south end of Boyd Lake State Park. So the best way to use the lake this fall runs straight through the stretch of trail that changes week to week.
The water in Boyd belongs to someone else
The Big Thompson River fills Boyd Lake, and CPW manages recreation on it, but the Greeley & Loveland Irrigation Company owns the water and controls the levels. That water goes to Greeley's drinking supply and to farms.
The low water this year started the fall before. In 2025, after a pump failed, the irrigation company drew Boyd down for two infrastructure repairs. The Loveland Reporter-Herald reported in November 2025 that the lake held about 17,500 acre-feet. That's 36% of its roughly 48,600 acre-foot capacity and the lowest level in more than 15 years. Meanwhile, Lake Loveland stayed comparatively full so it could feed off-season releases to the Big Thompson. Those releases ran from October until irrigation season resumed in May.
Then the winter came up dry. In March 2026, the Reporter-Herald warned that construction affecting Boyd's fill levels could keep the lake unusually low for months, possibly the whole boating season, depending on construction progress and spring snowpack. That's what happened. CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose told the Reporter-Herald in June that this was the earliest boating closure since at least 2012, and she explained why:
"Boyd Lake started the season at about one-third capacity, and working with the irrigation company that has the water rights to Boyd Lake, we were notified that we probably wouldn't get more water this year. That turned out to be the case."
A lake that started at one-third and got no more water all summer is the lake you see from the trail now.
What the lake still offers without a boat ramp
The boating closure took motorized boats off the water, but the lake itself is still open. Per CPW's current park pages, here's what that looks like heading into November:
- Paddling and swimming are still allowed. Kayaks, paddleboards and other hand-launched craft can still go in. When it announced the closure, park manager Lauren Turpin asked anyone going out to wear a life jacket, and CPW said water rescues would likely take longer to arrive.
- Park hours run 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and CPW lists a daily vehicle pass at $10 to $15.
- The accessible fishing pier is closed. The water is too low to launch it.
- The marina is closed for 2026, with no reopening date. Its contract ended April 1, and CPW didn't pick a new operator because low water was forecast. Back in March, the stated goal was to reopen the marina in 2027. CPW's current park page now says there's no estimated timeline.
- The Heron Cove boat ramp is closed because of the low water.
That leaves two ways to enjoy Boyd this fall: a paddle you carry to the water yourself, or the shoreline on foot or by bike. And most people on foot or bike get to the lake on the Recreation Trail.
Four bridges, one after another
The City describes the Loveland Recreation Trail as a 21-mile loop inside a 31-mile paved trail system. In its October 15 detours and closures update, the City scheduled four bridge repairs to start one after another:
- Boyd Lake Trail bridge, south end of Boyd Lake State Park. Work began October 15. On the statewide COTREX trail map, the closure of the Seven Lakes to Boyd Lake connection runs from 5 a.m. that day "until further notice." CPW calls it the inlet bridge that links the two local trail systems.
- Chilson Recreation Center east parking lot pedestrian bridge. Scheduled for the week of October 19.
- The bridge south of the west Hwy 34 trail underpass. Scheduled for the week of October 26.
- Seven Lakes Park trail bridge. Scheduled for the week of November 2.
The first and last projects sit at opposite ends of the same short link between Seven Lakes Park and the state park. If you usually get to Boyd from the Seven Lakes side, expect a detour there into November. The City hasn't published reopening dates or end dates for any of the four projects. It says a detour map will be posted on-site at each closure, with updates on the COTREX website and free app. COTREX is the most reliable place to check before heading out.
The rest of the loop is on its fall schedule too
The bridges aren't the only soft spots on the east-side trail this season.
On the north end, BNSF planned a full replacement of the crossing panels on 57th Street between North Taft and North Garfield. The plan called for a full closure to cars and pedestrians, plus a closure of the nearby Sunset Vista Natural Area trail north of the street during construction. As of October 12, the City says temporary trail material is in place at the railroad crossing and will stay until permanent repairs are done. It's asking trail users to slow down through that section. COTREX lists that closure as starting October 5, until further notice.
Park amenities are winding down at the same time:
| Spot | What changes | When |
|---|---|---|
| City park restrooms | Flush restrooms close for the season | Estimated Monday, October 26 |
| River's Edge Natural Area | Water service off; portable toilets at the main lot | Starting the week of October 12 |
| Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park | Closes for the season | Sunset November 1, weather permitting |
Viestenz-Smith is the one closing on a fixed date. Sunday, November 1 is the last day to visit before it reopens around the beginning of April.
Thanksgiving morning runs on this same trail
The trail's biggest crowd of the year is coming. The 25th annual Loveland Turkey Trot 5K starts at 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, from 2000 N. Boise Ave. According to the race's registration page, the course starts at the Northern Colorado Medical Center Loveland campus, heads down Boise Avenue, follows the Boyd Lake State Park Trail, and finishes on the Wellness Walk behind the hospital. Packet pickup is Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday, November 25, 3 to 7 p.m., at the BridgeWell Foundation office at 808 W Eisenhower Blvd, Suite 202. Race-morning pickup runs 7 to 8:15 a.m. in the race village.
The course description doesn't mention the Boyd Lake bridge work, and the City hasn't posted a reopening date for that crossing. If you're running with a stroller or a dog and want to know the exact route, ask the organizers before race week.
For walks after dark, Centerra's holiday season starts earlier than Thanksgiving. The Flip the Switch ceremony at Chapungu Sculpture Park is Friday, November 13, 5 to 7 p.m., and the All Is Bright Tour, including Chapungu Illuminated, runs nightly through January 1. Neither one needs a bridge.
If your daily loop goes past Boyd Lake, or you're wondering how close to the Recreation Trail your next home should be, Meagan Griesel knows which stretches of east Loveland stay walkable all year and which ones depend on a bridge crew. Start your neighborhood-focused strategy and get a custom marketing plan built around the parts of Loveland you actually use.
