Big Meadows Reservoir: A Hidden Alpine Lake for Your Colorado Elopement

If you’re picturing your elopement with still water, jagged peaks, and not another soul in sight, Big Meadows Reservoir hidden in southern Colorado might be the spot you didn’t know you were looking for.

Tucked in the Rio Grande National Forest about 11 miles west of South Fork, Big Meadows sits at over 9,200 feet in the San Juan Mountains — southwest of town, at the base of the same range that feeds the headwaters of the Rio Grande. It’s a working reservoir, not a postcard tourist stop, which is exactly why it still feels wild.

What Makes Big Meadows So Special For An Elopement

A short dirt road off Highway 160 leads you back to the lake, where a spillway waterfall spills over the dam and a wooden bridge crosses the water — an unbelievable natural aisle for a vow exchange. The surrounding meadows are soft, grassy, and open, with rocky cliffs rising up behind them. Couples who’ve been photographed here have told me it feels like walking into the Shire. The three mile trek around the lake is relatively flat, has multiple creek crossings with little wooden bridges, and views that make your heart sing. 

The Light Is the Whole Point

I shoot Big Meadows almost exclusively at sunrise or sunset. The angle of light off the water at that sunrise hour can produce an alpenglow-style orange-to-purple wash across the peaks that you just won’t get later in the day — and because it’s early, you’ll usually have the whole lake to yourselves. There is a campground on the left side of the lake and a connection trail on the back side of the lake that connects to Archuletta trail, so if you want to get huffing and puffing way back into the Rio Grande forest, you can. 

What Sessions I’ve Photographed Here:

• • Sunrise elopements on the bridge, timed to catch first light hitting the water.

• • Surprise proposals where I hid out streamside pretending to fish until the moment happened. I can be sneaky like that. 

• • Winter elopements with a tailgate picnic, champagne toast, glistening snow, and San Juan mountains as the backdrop.
  • Family sessions – there’s a meadow that’s perfect to let the wee ones run around

Getting There, Season by Season

• • Summer/fall: The access road is open, and it’s an easy drive back to the lake — ideal for couples who want a big mountain view without a long hike.

• • Winter: The road closes to motorized traffic, but the lake is still reachable by snowshoe (a moderate, “little huff-n’-puff” effort). Once you’re out on the frozen lake, it’s completely silent, with close-up views of the dam and mountains. This is a great option for couples who want a true winter elopement without technical mountaineering.

Is Big Meadows Right for Your Elopement?

This spot works well if you want:

• • A genuine mountain lake setting with a built-in “aisle” (the bridge)

• • A short walk in from the car, not an all-day backcountry trek

• • Sunrise light and privacy over crowds

• • Flexibility across seasons, including a snowshoe-in winter option

It’s part of what I love about shooting in this region after 15+ years — I know which spots hold up in every season, when the light is worth setting an alarm for, and how to get you somewhere beautiful without a 50-lb pack and an 8-hour hike.

Thinking about an alpine lake elopement in southern Colorado? Get in touch to check your date and talk through whether Big Meadows — or one of the other nearby hidden spots I like to shoot — fits the day you’re picturing. (There are other lakes in the area that offer even more mountain adventures on a wedding day!)