Barker Meadow Reservoir, lake in Colorado, United States

Barker Meadow Reservoir is a small manmade lake near Nederland, Colorado, that stores water for Boulder and a nearby hydroelectric power plant. A trail winds around the shoreline and offers views of the Rocky Mountains and surrounding forest.

Construction of Barker Dam began in 1908 under the Central Colorado Power Company to supply electricity to nearby mining communities and Denver. The dam was completed on August 4, 1910, and both dam and reservoir were named for landowner Hannah Connell Barker, who was forced to sell through eminent domain. Materials were hauled along a spur of the Switzerland Trail narrow-gauge railroad, which went bankrupt in 1919. The city of Boulder purchased the reservoir, dam and facilities in 2001.

The reservoir takes its name from Hannah Connell Barker, whose land once occupied this site. Visitors use this place today for quiet moments in nature, relaxation, and watching wildlife near the water.

There are few facilities at the reservoir, so bring water and food with you. The trail is easy to walk and suitable for most people, with parking available near the trailhead.

Barker Dam was built between 1908 and 1910 by the Central Colorado Power Company, which hauled concrete and materials along a specially built spur of the Switzerland Trail narrow-gauge railroad; that line went bankrupt and was broken up in 1919. The dam and reservoir are named for Hannah Connell Barker, the landowner who refused to sell and was forced out through a process similar to eminent domain.