McPhee Reservoir, Reservoir in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States

McPhee Reservoir is a large lake in the San Juan National Forest, roughly 10 miles south of Dolores in Montezuma County. It is surrounded by pinyon, juniper, and sagebrush landscapes and offers about 50 miles of shoreline to explore.

McPhee Reservoir was created by the Dolores Project of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: McPhee Dam, a 295-foot rockfill and earthen structure, was built in 1983, and the Great Cut Dike followed in 1984. The water buried McPhee, a New Mexico Lumber Company town of up to 1,500 employees whose sawmill closed in 1946 and once produced over half of Colorado's lumber.

The reservoir is named for McPhee, a company town of the New Mexico Lumber Company that now lies submerged beneath the water. Its sawmill, which in 1927 produced over half of Colorado's lumber, housed up to 1,500 employees before closing in 1946. The McPhee Recreation Area, run by the U.S. Forest Service, provides the boat launches, picnic areas and campgrounds visitors use today.

Visitors can launch vehicles and boats at several ramps that are easy to access during the season. It helps to arrive early to find parking, especially during the busy season from May through September.

The reservoir covers the site of McPhee, a company town of the New Mexico Lumber Company that housed up to 1,500 employees; its sawmill closed in 1946 and the town now lies submerged. In 1927 that mill produced over half of Colorado's lumber.