Denver's Sloans Lake

Sloans Lake is a neighborhood on the western edge of Denver. It features a park and lake of the same name and offers some of the most stunning views of both downtown Denver and the Rocky Mountains. Access from Sloans Lake to the downtown area is very easy and takes less than ten minutes. Residents of the area tend to head outside their own neighborhood if they are looking for a night out, either to the city center or to the neighboring Highlands Square. Sloans Lake is a family centered community. Although it does not have the same range of restaurants and boutiques as Highlands Square, the area has an excellent selection of basic stores where residents can pick up all of their basic necessities.

Sloans Lake is one of the most traditional residential areas in Denver, and is geared towards families who want a quiet neighborhood in which to raise their children. The area is served by a number of good schools and boasts a wide selection of different family homes. Housing styles in Sloans Lake include bungalows built during the 1920s, ranches from the 1940s, Victorian and Tudor style family homes, and new, postmodern style buildings. There are even some older buildings that date from the late 19th century.

The lake itself is an intriguing feature. It has no tributary rivers and its origins are unknown. There was no lake here in the 19th century. At this time, a road passed straight through the area that is now submerged under the lake, and the area was being farmed by a homesteader called Thomas Sloan. Sloan acquired the land by patent in late 1866 and is attributed by local legend with having created the lake that now bears his name. According to the story, Sloan accidentally flooded his land by tapping into the aquifer underneath it while he was digging a well. By the next day, the lake was already beginning to appear. At its largest, the lake extended over 200 acres of land, but it has since been reduced as parts have been filled in as the city expanded. During the 1930s, channels were dug to link Sloan Lake with the neighboring Cooper Lake, creating a continuous body of water that covers about 177 acres.

The shores of Sloan Lake were once covered by the Manhattan Beach swimming and amusement park, which opened in 1881. The park was the first of its kind west of the Mississippi, but it had a difficult history. Manhattan Beach burned down in 1908, was reopened as Luna Park, but then closed down for good in 1914, largely due to difficulties competing with other similar attractions in Denver.

The park that now surrounds Sloan Lake is the second largest in Denver, and therefore it rarely feels crowded. Many people enjoy hiking, cycling and jogging around the park, which has many beautiful trails that wind around the lake. The park also features tennis and basketball courts, a softball field and a multi-purpose sports field, and it is possible to go boating and water skiing on the lake. There are also two children's playgrounds and plenty of areas to sit down with a picnic. Many of the locals come out to relax in the park during the summer evenings.

One of the most exciting local events is the annual Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place on Sloan Lake during the summer.