Guided Dillon Reservoir Kayak Tour

Dillon Reservoir, the 3,300-acre high-altitude lake at 9,017 feet elevation in Summit County, Colorado, was created in 1963 when the Denver Water Board constructed Dillon Dam on the Blue River, deliberately submerging the original town of Dillon — including its streets, buildings, and cemetery — beneath the reservoir that now supplies water to metro Denver. The guided kayak tour program operating from the Dillon Marina at 150 Marina Drive in Frisco through the 2026 season, running from early June through late September, uses this layered history as one of the narrative threads of each excursion, pointing to the areas of the reservoir where specific structures of the original town were located and explaining how the surrounding Ten Mile, Gore, and Williams Fork mountain ranges that ring the water on three sides shaped both the valley’s settlement history and Denver’s water strategy.

Tours depart in morning and afternoon sessions, with experienced guides leading participants through Dillon’s sheltered coves and open bays at a pace suited to all experience levels. Bald eagles nest in the cottonwood corridors along the reservoir’s tributary creek mouths, and moose are regular sightings along the willowed shoreline between the marina area and the lake’s quieter northeastern arm. The calm surface conditions typical of the morning session window make it the preferred choice for families with children new to kayaking. Life jackets and paddles are provided; participants are encouraged to dress in layers, as temperatures at 9,000 feet can drop 20 degrees between the morning’s launch and midday regardless of the calendar date. Sunscreen at this elevation requires application before departure rather than after arrival on the water.

Frisco, Dillon, and the Summit County Towns

Frisco’s Main Street, a four-block commercial corridor within a short walk of the marina, carries the character of a Colorado mountain town that has maintained a genuine hardware store, an independent bookshop, and a functional coffee culture alongside the ski-season retail overlay that most Summit County communities cannot resist. The Frisco Historic Park and Museum at 120 Main Street covers the area’s mining and railroad history with restored structures including the original Frisco Schoolhouse and the town’s first log jail, and the park’s open grounds are accessible free of charge throughout the week. Keystone Resort, 10 miles east on US-6, opens its extensive bike park and lift-accessed mountain biking terrain through the summer season and provides an adrenaline alternative for family members who have reached their paddling threshold.

If You’re Going with Kids
The Dillon Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings through the summer at the Dillon Town Park, providing a low-key mid-morning stop between an early kayak tour and lunch at one of the lakefront restaurants on the reservoir’s south end. Children who have completed the kayak tour with some remaining paddling energy will find the marina’s single and tandem kayak rentals available independently of guided tours for unstructured water time in the protected inner harbor.

Where to Stay

Frisco and Dillon both have vacation rental inventory on the reservoir’s shoreline, ranging from small condos with lake views to larger houses suited to family groups. Look on Lake.com for properties near Dillon Reservoir that position you within walking distance of the marina and the lakefront restaurants. Summit County lodging fills steadily from mid-June onward as the summer recreation season builds; plan accommodations at least four weeks in advance for any July or August visit.