Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park)
Near Goodnight, Colorado · on West Pueblo Ditch · Lake Pueblo State Park
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- pond
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $10/vehicle
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park)
For anyone scouting places to swim near Pueblo, Swim Beach is Lake Pueblo State Park's designated swimming hole, sited just below Pueblo Dam along the Arkansas River in Pueblo County, Colorado. Long known as Rock Canyon Swim Beach, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has since rebranded and expanded it (now sometimes called Kestrel Pond) to also allow paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing.
The site sits in a canyon setting immediately downstream of Pueblo Dam, where the Arkansas River channel and associated diversion works (including the West Pueblo Ditch) run below the reservoir. It is described in official Bureau of Reclamation materials as part of the broader Lake Pueblo State Park complex, distinct from the main 4,600-acre reservoir itself.
Swimming at Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park)
Swimming is in a sandy-to-pond-bottomed area with a gradual entry, historically staffed with seasonal lifeguards during summer months. News coverage notes visitors often prefer this pond-like area to swimming in the open reservoir. It is a supervised, family-oriented swim area rather than a wild/backcountry hole.
How to get to this swimming hole
Parking: A large parking lot serves the beach; visitors report it fills by late morning on summer weekends, with arrival before 10am recommended (gates open at 5am).
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up beach: a large parking lot sits directly adjacent to the swim area (sandy beach with gradual entry into the pond-like water below Pueblo Dam). No trail or hike is required to reach the water; it's a short, flat walk across the sand from the lot.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sandy beach with a gradual entry and a pond-like enclosed swim area historically staffed with seasonal lifeguards, and one visitor quoted by KOAA News said families prefer this pond floor 'better than the general lake itself, cause the general lake itself is a little icky.' Caution: since the area was expanded/rebranded (Rock Canyon Swim Beach -> also called Kestrel Pond) to also permit paddleboarding/kayaking/canoeing, it no longer meets CDPHE's regulatory definition of a dedicated 'natural swimming area' and per KOAA News is not currently subject to routine bacteria testing; a 2022 E. coli closure has occurred. Geese frequent the pond. Parents should check current park advisories before swimming.
Parking
Paid, $10-$15/vehicle Colorado State Parks day-use pass (official CPW park page lists a $10-$15 range; a 2022 news article cited $10/vehicle); no separate beach fee.
A large paved lot serves the beach directly. Regulars say the lot fills by late morning on summer weekends, and park gates open at 5am, so arriving before 10am is recommended in peak season.
Restrooms
Yes
Bathhouse with restrooms, changing stations, and outdoor showers at the beach, plus covered picnic areas with grills nearby (seconews.org, 2022).
Water clarity
Varies with season and flow
No direct clarity measurement was found, but a park visitor quoted by KOAA News said families prefer the enclosed pond ('this floor bottom') 'better than the general lake itself, cause the general lake itself is a little icky,' suggesting the sheltered swim-beach pond reads calmer and cleaner to visitors than the open Lake Pueblo reservoir nearby, which (like many Arkansas River reservoirs in Colorado) can carry sediment and turbidity, especially after runoff. This is a single news-sourced visitor impression, not a broad sample.
Hours
Overall park gates: daily 5am-10pm (official CPW park page). The designated swim-beach area itself was reported in 2022 news coverage as open 11am-6pm Thursday-Monday (closed Tuesday/Wednesday) through Labor Day; this beach-specific schedule could not be independently reconfirmed for the current season, so it may have changed since the area's rebranding/expansion.
On the water
Restrictions: No motorized vessels permitted in the swim beach / Kestrel Pond area itself. Motorboating, sailing, and waterskiing occur on the main ~4,600-acre Lake Pueblo reservoir elsewhere in the park, not at this designated swim/paddle area.
Per KOAA News, Colorado Parks and Wildlife expanded the historic Rock Canyon Swim Beach to also permit paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing (non-motorized only).
What regulars say
The one candid visitor impression available comes from local news: a park visitor told KOAA News they prefer the enclosed pond floor at the swim beach over swimming in the open lake because 'the general lake itself is a little icky,' and reporting notes geese commonly wade in the pond. Both are useful practical heads-ups for visitors expecting a pristine beach.
Backstory
Originally known as Rock Canyon Swim Beach. Colorado Parks and Wildlife later expanded permitted uses to include paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing (prohibiting only motorized craft), and the area has since been referred to as Kestrel Pond; this change also removed it from CDPHE's mandatory swim-beach water-quality testing category, according to KOAA News.
Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park): FAQ
Does Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park) charge a fee?
Standard Colorado State Park day-use vehicle fee applied (reported as $10/vehicle in 2022 news coverage); no separate beach fee.
Is Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park) kid friendly?
Sandy beach with a gradual entry and a pond-like enclosed swim area historically staffed with seasonal lifeguards, and one visitor quoted by KOAA News said families prefer this pond floor 'better than the general lake itself, cause the general lake itself is a little icky.' Caution: since the area was expanded/rebranded (Rock Canyon Swim Beach -> also called Kestrel Pond) to also permit paddleboarding/kayaking/canoeing, it no longer meets CDPHE's regulatory definition of a dedicated 'natural swimming area' and per KOAA News is not currently subject to routine bacteria testing; a 2022 E. coli closure has occurred. Geese frequent the pond. Parents should check current park advisories before swimming.
Do I need to hike to reach Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park)?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park)?
A large paved lot serves the beach directly. Regulars say the lot fills by late morning on summer weekends, and park gates open at 5am, so arriving before 10am is recommended in peak season.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park)?
Per KOAA News, Colorado Parks and Wildlife expanded the historic Rock Canyon Swim Beach to also permit paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing (non-motorized only).
When is the best time to visit Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park)?
June through August, per local reporting on water temperature (70-75F surface temps by midsummer).
What are the rules at Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park)?
As of a 2022 closure notice, operating hours were 11am-6pm Thursday-Monday through Labor Day (closed Tuesday/Wednesday). Dogs are not permitted at the designated swim beach per a trail-guide aggregator source. Following its expansion to a multi-use water-recreation area, the site no longer falls under CDPHE's regulatory definition of a 'natural swimming area,' so it is not subject to mandatory E. coli/bacteria testing that applied when it was swimming-only.
What water body is Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park) on?
Kestrel Pond (Lake Pueblo State Park) is on West Pueblo Ditch, a natural pond verified in USGS hydrography data.
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