Setting
Sloan Lake is on the northwest side of Denver, where the lake, park, and neighborhood share the same name. It is also referred to as Sloan’s Lake and Sloans Lake.
The area is near Denver’s western city limits, adjacent to Lakewood, Edgewater, and Wheat Ridge. Its approximate boundaries are Sheridan Boulevard, 17th Avenue, Raleigh Street, and 26th Avenue. No tributary streams feed the lake.
Lake History
The lake’s exact origin has not been officially established. During settlement of the Denver area in the mid to late 19th century, the lake was not there, and South Golden Road crossed the land where the water now sits.
Thomas M. Sloan received a land patent in December 1866 for agricultural use, farming, and cattle raising. A well-known story says he accidentally tapped an underground aquifer while digging a well, but that account is considered incorrect. Another account places the lake’s appearance between June 1861 and early 1863.
Park and Recreation
Trails and sidewalks around the lake are used for walking, jogging, and bicycling, while the lake itself is used for fishing and boating.
The park also has basketball and tennis courts. Each summer, the Dragon Boat Festival brings visitors to the park for an event celebrating Asian American culture and civilization.
Wildlife and Islands
Sloan’s Lake provides seasonal and year-round habitat for birds, fish, and other wildlife. Birds seen around the lake include white pelicans, mallard ducks, Canada geese, seagulls, barn swallows, house finches, and common nighthawks.
Cormorants and herons use Cooper Island as a refuge from shore-based predators. Penny Island sits in the center of the lake and includes a manmade osprey nesting structure built in 2014.
Neighborhood Change
The Sloan Lake neighborhood has experienced rapid gentrification and rising real estate values in recent years. Its housing includes a range of styles, from 1920s brick bungalows to newer post-modern architecture.
Construction has included single-family homes and apartment units. South of the park, the closure and demolition of St. Anthony’s Hospital led to residential redevelopment with a condominium tower, an apartment building, restaurants, and shops.
What it is like
Sloan’s Lake Park is on Denver’s western edge and spans 290 acres, with Denver’s second-largest park and the city’s largest body of water. It is described as having scenic lake views, ample space and a laid-back family-friendly vibe, bordered by the Sloan Lake neighborhood of early 20th-century homes and modern townhomes.
Homes and housing
Sloan Lake is described as having modern housing and new development, within boundaries of 29th Avenue, 17th Avenue, Federal Boulevard and Sheridan Boulevard. Discover Denver is currently surveying buildings in Sloan Lake to identify historically, architecturally or culturally significant properties.
History and landmarks
Legend says Sloan’s Lake began in 1861 when Thomas M. Sloan struck an aquifer while digging a well, flooding 200 acres; he sold the property in 1872 as “the best farm in Colorado.
Sources: Sloan Lake (Colorado) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA); visitdenver.com; history.denverlibrary.org