Cheesman Canyon (South Platte River, Colorado)

       Location: Cheesman Canyon is 60 miles southwest of Denver and 50 miles northwest of Colorado Springs. There are major airports in both cities.

      Many consider the Cheesman Canyon section of the South Platte one of the best tailwaters in the United States. Constructed in 1905, Cheesman Reservoir was named after Walter Scott Cheesman, president of the Denver Union Water Company. From the base of the 221-foot dam, the South Platte River carves it way through a

      majestic, boulder-filled canyon lined with dense stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, blue spruce, and willow. Bald eagles, black bears, mountain lions, mule deer, raccoons, turkeys, and beautiful butterflies all add to the experience.

      Fly-fishing aficionados affectionately call it “the canyon.” There’s a common belief among South Platte regulars that if you can catch fish in Cheesman Canyon you can catch fish anywhere in the world. I wholeheartedly agree—Cheesman Canyon is a world-class, technical fishery, loaded with some of the most finicky trout anywhere.

      There is approximately 3½ miles of public water between the dam and the upper boundary of the private Wigwam Club. Access is via the Gill Trail, named after Henry C. Gill, one of the first settlers in the area. The well-defined trail parallels the river

      throughout the canyon, affording anglers easy and convenient access. Anglers can park their vehicles in two parking facilities, one off Highway 126 (2 miles west of Deckers) and the other adjacent to Cheesman Reservoir.

      Most anglers park in the lower lot (off Highway 126) and hike into the canyon. It takes about 30 minutes to get into the lower river and about an hour to get into the middle reaches. The hike from the upper canyon (Cheesman Reservoir) is not for the faint of heart. Steep grades and rigorous terrain make this hike considerably more difficult than the lower access.