LAKEFRONT LIVING & WEST DENVER CHARACTER
Sloan’s Lake
Denver’s largest lake sits at the center of it. 177 acres, a 2.6-mile loop trail, and a neighborhood that plans its day around the water.
Location: West Denver, borders LoHi and Edgewater | Vibe: Active, lakefront, community-rooted | Known for: 177-acre lake, 2.6-mile loop trail, the West 17th Avenue restaurant row
Sloan’s Lake is defined by water. The 177-acre lake at its center shapes the running trails, the morning kayakers, and the way the neighborhood feels more connected than most city blocks. When you live here, you don’t just have a park nearby. You have a lake, and that distinction shows up in how people actually spend their days.
Denver’s Lakefront Neighborhood
The lake that defines this neighborhood exists by accident. In 1861, a farmer named Thomas Sloan drilled what he thought was a well on the western side of what is now the lake. Instead of water, he struck an underground spring that flooded his entire field. The accidental lake became Denver’s largest, and the neighborhood that grew around it became one of the city’s most distinctive. The history is worth knowing because it says something about the place: some of the best things here weren’t planned.
The homes range from pre-war bungalows and mid-century ranches to a wave of townhomes and condos built during the neighborhood’s revitalization in the 2010s. Prices reflect both the Denver address and the lake premium, though Sloan’s Lake consistently trades at a discount to Cherry Creek and Park Hill for equivalent square footage and access. The west side of the lake tends to offer the most value.
The 2.6-mile loop trail is one of Denver’s most-used recreational corridors, shared daily by runners, cyclists, dog walkers, and rollerbladers. Most of the neighborhood’s eating and drinking happens along West 17th Avenue on the south side of the lake, where Gusto, ChoLon, Odell’s and The Patio sit within a few blocks of each other. LoHi and downtown are a short drive or a comfortable bike ride east. Residents treat the lake loop as a daily ritual rather than a weekend destination.
Sloan’s Lake Highlights
177-Acre Lake
Denver’s largest lake, with stand-up paddle boards and kayaks out on the water all summer and sunset mountain views that are hard to beat
The Loop & Race Season
The 2.6-mile path is the neighborhood front porch, busy with daily walkers and runners and a steady calendar of 5Ks
Leagues & Group Fitness
Recreational sports leagues, boot camps and group fitness classes run in the park through the warm months
Tennis Courts & Playground
Newly rebuilt tennis courts and a new playground area keep the park busy well beyond the trail
Annual Events
The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival and Jamming on the Jetty both take over the park each year
West 17th Avenue
The restaurant row on the south side of the lake, home to Gusto, ChoLon, Odell’s and The Patio, with Edgewater Public Market a short hop west
“Sloan’s Lake is one of those neighborhoods where you understand immediately why people don’t leave. The loop trail, the views, dinner a few blocks off the water. It delivers on the promise every morning.”
West Denver
Discover Sloan’s Lake
Local spots worth knowing
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Sloan’s Lake Park
The defining feature of the neighborhood. 177 acres of park wrapped around the water, with a newly replaced playground, pump track and tennis courts on the south side, and the north tennis courts and basketball court up for reconstruction. Wide open fields keep the recreational leagues busy with kickball, soccer and volleyball all season.
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The Lake Loop
One of Denver’s most-used recreational corridors. Walkers, runners, rollerbladers, cyclists and dog walkers share the 2.6-mile paved path and the soft surface trail that runs alongside it, from first light until well after sunset.
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West 17th Avenue
The neighborhood’s main food and drink corridor, running along the south edge of the lake. Gusto, ChoLon, Odell’s and The Patio all sit within a few blocks, close enough that most of the neighborhood walks to dinner.
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Edgewater Public Market
Just west of the lake, over the line in Edgewater. Sixteen-plus vendors, Barquentine Brewing and a rooftop event space, close enough to fold into a walk around the water.
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Water Recreation
Stand-up paddle boards and kayaks are a regular sight on the water once the weather turns. The lake is calm enough for beginners and open enough for a real workout, with mountain views the whole way across.
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LoHi & West Highlands
Both are a short drive or an easy bike ride. Root Down, Little Man and Williams & Graham sit east in LoHi, Tennyson Street north in Berkeley. Sloan’s Lake sits between them with the water at its center.
Local Happenings
What the park has on the calendar this season
Upcoming Events
Dates come from the organizers and can shift. Say hello if you want the neighborhood calendar as it fills in.
New & Coming Soon
Going into the former Sculpture Studio space at 23rd and King, with construction expected to begin in late 2026.
Hearing about something new in the neighborhood? Let me know and I will add it here.
Sloan’s Lake Real Estate
Search Sloan’s Lake Homes for Sale
Sloan’s Lake single-family homes, past 12 months (REcolorado MLS). Contact Marla for updated numbers.
Who Buys at Sloan’s Lake
Sloan’s Lake draws buyers who want the lake as part of their daily life, rather than a weekend amenity, and who understand that living on Denver’s largest lake commands a premium for good reason.
Active Lifestyle Buyers
People who want to run, bike, or kayak before work and treat the lake loop as a daily ritual. The Bike Score of 78 and the trail access aren’t nice-to-haves for this buyer. They are the whole point.
West Side Relocators
Buyers who want LoHi’s energy at a scale that feels livable. Sloan’s Lake keeps dinner and drinks a few blocks away on 17th Avenue and leaves the density and noise a few minutes east.
Out-of-State Buyers
Professionals from coastal cities who want a real neighborhood, walkable and interesting and built around a lake, at a price that still makes sense relative to what they’re coming from. Sloan’s Lake lands high on their list every time.
Interested in Sloan’s Lake?
Browse every active Sloan’s Lake listing on my live search, then let’s talk about the lakefront condos, the bungalows near the loop, and what these homes are actually trading for right now.