Lighthouses of the United States: Colorado

The United States of America is a federal union of 50 states and a capital district. The western state of Colorado is in the center of the mountainous western part of the country, so navigation in the state is limited to a few lakes. The state shares its name with the Colorado River, the largest river of the southwestern U.S.; the river has its source in the central Rocky Mountains of the state. Colorado was organized as a territory in 1861 and admitted to the union as the 38th state in 1876.

Note: To be listed in the Directory, a lighthouse must actually serve as an aid to navigation. This means it must be located on a navigable lake or river and must be lit as a navigational aid at least during the local boating season.

Dillon Reservoir Lighthouse
* Frisco Bay (Dillon Lake) (?)
Date unknown. Previously active; focal plane about 26 ft (8 m); flashing white light. 18 ft (5.5 m) octagonal wood tower with lantern, painted white with black trim. A 2023 photo is at right, Tasha West has a 2023 closeup, Virgil Hammock has another photo, and Google has a 2023 street view and a satellite view. In 2019 the lighthouse was removed temporarily during a reconstruction of the marina; it returned after the project was completed. This light is on the Dillon Reservoir in Summit County. The reservoir provides water for the Denver metropolitan area through a tunnel under the Continental Divide. The lake is at an elevation of 9017 ft (2748 m), making this the highest lighthouse in North America. Located in a marina at the southwestern end of the lake in Frisco, a town of about 3000 residents that is a center for nearby ski resorts; the town is about 70 mi (115 km) west of Denver on the I-70 expressway. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Town of Frisco. Site manager: Frisco Bay Marina.

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Kansas | Northeasst: Nebraska


Frisco Bay Light, Frisco, September 2023
Google Maps photo by Jeffrey R

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Posted October 25, 2011. Checked and revised February 22, 2025. Lighthouses: 1. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.