Sweetwater Lake State Park, State park in Gypsum, Colorado, US.

Sweetwater Lake State Park is a state park in Colorado centered around a mountain lake within White River National Forest. The landscape features forested hillsides, open shorelines, and mountain views throughout the property.

Sweetwater Lake and its surrounding ranch were privately held for decades and considered for residential, hotel and water-bottling development. The Conservation Fund bought the 488-acre property in 2020, and the U.S. Forest Service completed its acquisition on August 31, 2021. In 2021 Governor Jared Polis announced a proposal for Colorado Parks and Wildlife to manage the site, which Colorado Public Radio called a first-in-the-nation arrangement for a state park on Forest Service land.

The lake and surrounding ranch were privately held for decades and had been eyed for residential, hotel and water-bottling development. The Conservation Fund bought the property in 2020, and the Forest Service completed its purchase of the 488-acre site on August 31, 2021. Bird surveys in 2023 and 2024 recorded 84 species around the lake, including species of conservation concern.

The site is a proposal, not an operating park: as of September 2026 the Forest Service was still weighing a 20-year special-use permit for Colorado Parks and Wildlife after its environmental-impact review. A five-year Forest Service restriction bars entry to a designated raptor-protection area from February 1 to August 15, and also bans climbing, motorized boating and entry to the Ute Cave above the lake. Check current access rules before travelling.

The arrangement was described by Colorado Public Radio as a first-in-the-nation setup for a state park on Forest Service land, but it remains a proposal: as of September 2026 the Forest Service was still weighing whether to grant Colorado Parks and Wildlife a 20-year special-use permit after an environmental-impact review.