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Due to severe winter weather, all Douglas County Government offices will be closing one hour early at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7. Watch our newsroom for more updates.
The reservoir entrance is located at Hess Road and Double Angel Road.
Vehicles driving into the reservoir portion of the property need to make an online vehicle reservation to access the park. The cost of a parking pass is $10. One parking pass per car is required. All-day parking passes can be purchased by clicking here.
The reservoir is open Friday through Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting November 1st through the winter unless stated otherwise.
Limiting access to the reservoir at this time provides the balance needed to meet costs and the Master Plan goals while preserving water quality, public safety, and natural resource protection.
As stewards of the land and community, it is the wish of the Parker Water and Sanitation District (PWSD) and its local partners to preserve this land as a resource and to educate visitors about the history of the reservoir.
The primary purpose of Rueter-Hess Reservoir is drinking water storage for the Parker Water and Sanitation District and its storage partners. To learn more, click here.
However, limited recreational programs and special events are currently available through recreation partners and contracted vendors.
Standup paddle boards, canoes, and kayaks are allowed. Wind surfing will be allowed on a trial basis for 2024. Waders and belly boats are not allowed. Click here for the current rules and regulations.
Yes, it will need to pass an aquatic nuisance species (ANS) inspection before launching. All watercraft must be cleaned, drained, and dry before access will be allowed.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) manages watercraft safety equipment. For more information visit the CPW website.
All watercraft users will need to wear a PFD with a sound producing device at all times while on the water.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) manages watercraft registrations. For more information visit the CPW website.
You do not need to register your watercraft to use at Rueter-Hess as it is a privately owned facility.
No motorized watercraft are allowed.
Stand-up paddle boards, canoes, kayaks, and windsurfing watercraft are currently permitted. Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Inspections will be required for all approved watercraft upon entry.
No. Remote control devices are not allowed in, on, or near the reservoir.
Catch-and-release only. Limited adult anglers with valid state fishing licenses will be allowed to fish daily when the reservoir is open to the public. Anglers may fish from the water or from shore when open to watercraft. After November 1st anglers may fish from shore until ice forms on the reservoir. (Anglers younger than 16, who are not required by the state to have a license, may fish with a reservation.)
(Motorized watercraft or belly boats are not allowed).
For more information click here.
Stocking of recreational species began in the fall of 2018, and include:
Yes, you will need a valid state fishing license to fish at Rueter-Hess Reservoir if you are 16 or older.
Summer water temperatures range from 65-72ºF.
The Rosie Rueter Trail and Incline Challenge are open daily from sunrise to sunset. The Incline features 132 steps, and the Rosie Rueter Trail loop that leads to and from the parking lot is just over a mile long. To access these trails, visitors should turn west off of Heirloom Parkway when they reach the Rueter-Hess Water Purification Facility and continue west to the designated Incline parking area.
The Newlin’s Gold trail connects to the Percy Hess Trail and is approximately 7 miles long (out and back) from the entrance station. It is located on the reservoir property’s southern boundary. Access to this trail is Friday through Monday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you want to drive into the reservoir, a $10.00 vehicle access reservation is required. Click here to obtain the reservation
Yes. The current trails include:
No. Equestrians are not permitted around the reservoir in order to maintain the water quality of the reservoir.
The property is largely rugged and undeveloped. Please bring plenty of food and water with you. Porto-O-Lets are available at the parking lots. Use the pack it in, pack it out rule and make sure all trash and debris is collected and disposed of properly.
Dogs are only allowed on the trail system. They cannot go on the Incline, the shoreline, on or in the water. Remember to have your dog leashed and to pick up and dispose of waste properly. There are no waste bags available on the property.
No. Rueter-Hess Reservoir is owned by Parker Water & Sanitation District. Douglas County manages recreation on the property.
Funding and oversight of reservoir recreation are through the Rueter-Hess Recreation Advisory Board, which includes the Town of Parker, the Town of Castle Rock, the City of Lone Tree, the City of Castle Pines, and Douglas County as well as the use fees. Douglas County manages and maintains recreation on the property.
No. Swimming or wading is not permitted in order to maintain the water quality of the reservoir.
The construction of Rueter-Hess Reservoir was completed in 2012 to hold 75,000-acre feet of stored water. The dam rises 185 feet above the bedrock and the reservoir is 1,170 acres.
