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LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — Horsetooth Reservoir is one of the most popular recreation spots in Colorado, but the crowds are starting to become a problem.

“It’s too crowded,” Logan Mills said.

“Usually on the weekends it’s horrible here,” Matt Nicholson said.

While crowds on a summer weekend aren’t unusual, the increase in visitors is a fairly new phenomenon.

“It’s bad to where you can’t get on [the lake] until another boat comes off,” Mike Missimer said. “So that’s probably within the last three or four years it’s been like that.”

Larimer County park rangers said there are more people visiting Horsetooth Reservoir than ever before, and the increase is a direct effect of the population boom.

“We’ve seen a tremendous growth in the last 10 years along the Front Range,” Horsetooth District Manager Mark Caughlan said.

Caughlin said the park regularly hits capacity, even on weekdays.

“Now it is not uncommon on a weekday down at Horsetooth Reservoir to see our campground 95 percent full on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. That you wouldn’t have seen five years ago,” he said.

On the water, capacity is 300 to 350 boats depending on the water level. Visitors said it takes away from the experience.

“There are so many boats driving next to each other and you can’t turn. You just have to go straight and it’s a problem,” Mills said.

While the crowds are annoying for some people, they are creating real logistical problems for the park.

Caughlan said Horsetooth staff used to be able to dump trash once per week. Now, on a busy holiday weekend, they are dumping three times a week. The extra work takes more staff and costs more money.

“The more folks you have, the greater wear on your facilities so that your services and your products wear out quicker. Your facilities wear out quicker,” he said.

Park rangers are trying to figure out how to maintain the natural resources, keep everyone safe and still allow visitors to have a good time.

Larimer County officials are getting ready to brainstorm ideas to deal with the increase in visitors as part of its new 10-year plan.

Preliminary ideas include adding more staff, raising entrance fees or developing trip-planning apps so visitors know in real time what to expect before arriving.

This is not a problem unique to Larimer County. Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park are dealing with the same issues.

Rangers suggest arriving as early as possible or visiting parks on weekdays to avoid crowds.

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