Vega State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vega State Park |
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The reservoir in early spring, still partially frozen.
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 Vega State Park
Location in Colorado
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| Location | Collbran, Mesa County, Colorado, United States |
| Area | 1,823 acres (7.38 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,696 ft (2,346 m) |
| Established | 1967 |
| Visitors | 181,283 |
| Governing body | Colorado Parks and Wildlife |
| Website | Vega State Park |
Vega State Park is a cool state park in Mesa County, Colorado. It covers about 1,823-acre (738 ha) of land. The park is home to Vega Reservoir, a popular spot for fishing. This reservoir sits high up, at about 7,696 feet (2,346 m) above sea level.
You can enjoy many activities at Vega State Park all year long. These include boating, hiking, snowmobiling, and camping. The park first opened in 1967. It was created with help from the Bureau of Reclamation, which built the Vega Dam and the reservoir.
Contents
Exploring Vega State Park's Past
Ancient Seas and Early Explorers
Long, long ago, the land where Vega State Park now sits was a huge, swampy inland sea. This was during the Paleozoic era, a very old time in Earth's history. Giant sea turtles and other sea creatures lived in these swamps. Sometimes, you can still find their fossilized remains in the park today!
The first Europeans to visit this area were two Spanish missionaries. Their names were Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez. They were on a journey in the 1700s. They hoped to find a quicker way from Spanish towns in Santa Fe, New Mexico to missions near Monterey, California. These explorers named the area Las Vegas, which means the Meadows in Spanish.
Settlers and the Changing Landscape
Later, in 1881, white settlers began to arrive. This happened after the Ute tribe moved to reservations in eastern Utah. The area became known simply as The Meadows. By 1885, many farmers had settled here. They got their land through the Homestead Act.
About 25 families lived in the valley. They raised dairy cows and beef cattle. The small community had a school, a cemetery, a post office, and two sawmills. But this settlement didn't last forever. By 1936, most people had left, and the school closed.
Building the Reservoir
In the 1950s, more water was needed to irrigate the Plateau Valley. So, work began on the Vega Dam and Reservoir in 1957. They finished building it in 1962. The lake covers about 925 acres (374 ha). It gets its water from a canal connected to Park and Leon creeks. Water also flows in from Plateau Creek.
In 1967, the state of Colorado took over managing the fun activities around Vega Reservoir. That's when Vega State Park officially opened!
Discovering Nature at Vega State Park
Animals of the Park
Vega State Park is mostly a grassy, meadow-like area. It surrounds the 925 acres (374 ha) Vega Reservoir. The land right by the lake is a wetland, which is a watery, marshy area.
You can spot many cool animals here! The most common large mammals are mule deer, elk, and marmots. Other animals you might see include cottontail rabbits, ground squirrels, coyotes, beavers, and chipmunks.
The lake is full of different kinds of trout. These include rainbow, brook, cutbow, and cutthroat trout. Sometimes, you might even see Moose, which have been brought back to this area. Other animals like bobcats, blue grouse, black bears, and wild turkeys also live in the park.
Plants and Trees
Away from the reservoir, the land goes uphill into an aspen forest. This forest has aspen trees and other plants like Rocky Mountain maple and Colorado blue spruce. You'll also find serviceberry and red-osier dogwood. Many different grasses and wildflowers grow here too.
The mountain shrubland areas have Gambel oak, snowberry, and chokecherry. The meadows were once used by farmers for hay and for grazing cattle. Now, they have many types of native and introduced grasses. These include mule's ear, tufted hairgrass, lupins, reed canarygrass, water sedge, and timothy-grass.
Park Geology
Vega State Park is on the edge of Grand Mesa. This is a wide, flat-topped mountain that was shaped by erosion. The rocks you see on the mesa are from the Cretaceous and Tertiary eras. They are covered with basaltic lava flows. These lava flows look like a "Y" shape. This suggests the lava once filled an ancient stream bed. Over time, erosion wore away the old valley walls. This left the lava flows standing high above the land around them.
Fun Things to Do at Vega State Park
Visitor Center and Camping
Vega State Park is open for fun activities all year long! You can visit the visitor center, which is south of the dam. It has cool displays about the park's history and nature. There's also a gift shop. You can buy passes and permits to use the park's facilities at the park offices.
The park has four campgrounds for you to stay in:
- Early Settlers Campground: Has 33 spots for RVs with electricity and water. It also has a bathhouse with toilets and showers.
- Aspen Grove Campground: Offers 27 RV spots. It has a central water pump and simple toilet facilities.
- Oak Point Campground: Has 39 RV spots, similar to Aspen Grove.
- Pioneer Campground: Features 10 tent sites and five simple cabins. It has a central water pump and basic toilets. The cabins are cozy! They have four bunk beds (sleeping up to six people), a kitchen table, chairs, a small fridge, a futon sofa, a microwave, and a propane stove.
Hunting, Fishing, and Water Sports
You can go hunting and fishing at Vega State Park. Vega Reservoir is a great place to fish for many kinds of trout. Hunting is allowed during specific seasons set by the state. You can use bows and shotguns. When the lake freezes over, you can even go ice fishing!
The lake is also open for exciting water sports. These include water skiing, wind surfing, sailing, and jet-skiing. However, there isn't a special swimming area at the lake.
Other Activities
There are many other ways to have fun at Vega State Park! You can go mountain biking, cross-country skiing, or bird watching. It's also a great place for picnicking and learning about nature through environmental education programs.
Images for kids
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The reservoir in early spring, still partially frozen.
