Vista Bonita Recreation Association

community information

Baker Lake Information

The Board of Directors has decided that no boats may be stored at Baker Lake Park because of liability issues. There is room at the east end of the split rail fence to drive in to put a boat in the water, but don’t leave your vehicle in the park while you are boating.

Fish are the main diet of Osprey, and they fly over the lake until they spot a snack. They dive from 50’ to 100’ into the water with a huge splash. Their success rate, that we have observed, is about 1 in 4 dives (some neighbors have named one of them “Bulls-eye”). They then come out of the water and at about 10’-15’ it shakes the water of its body like a dog. It then turns the fish in its talons, so the head is facing the direction of its flight. Really is neat to see.

If you see something that needs attention, please let someone on the Board know about the problem.

Vista Bonita is served by the following schools

Timnath Elementary

Timnath Middle - High School

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at contact@vistabonitara.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Are the members of VBRA liable for any accidents associated with the lake or park?

VBRA is a non-profit corporation that is insured for any claims arising from the use of the lake or park and at any of our sponsored functions. Individual members are not responsible for claims against the corporation. We are paying over $2000 per year for insurance based on the number of members. This is currently our largest annual expenditure.

Where does the water come from that fills our lake in the summer?

The water for Baker Lake comes from the Larimer Weld Irrigation CO. (LWIC) canal at the northeast side of the lake. The Association owns water shares that provide about half the water needed, the remaining water is purchased through LWIC when available.

What can be done about trashy yards, late night noise and annoying pets?

These are the kind of issues handled by an HOA like the one in the Trails at Vista Bonita. The other filings do not have an HOA so the best advice is to have a polite conversation with the offending party to try and resolve the issue.

What can be done about speeding on our streets?

The Trails HOA has been looking into the problem. When they plan a course of action, VBRA will support them in any way that is appropriate according to our By-Laws.

Why is there so much seaweed in the lake some years?

This is a complicated issue involving the health of the lake and the recreational use of the lake. While some seaweed is good for the fish population and water clarity, too much hurts the recreational uses. We have stocked some grass carp (which don’t reproduce) to keep the seaweed under control. If the seaweed gets too thick in some areas, then the best control is to pull it out by hand or rake and remove it from the lake. Call the president for more details.

When will the west entrance be upgraded?

We are collecting donations with your dues to save for that project. When a proposal and cost estimate are put forward, we will provide the monies that have been accumulated through donations and any remaining amounts will have to be collected through a donation drive. If you want to help with a plan, please call the Trails HOA president or VBRA president to volunteer.

When will there be more upgrades to Baker Lake Park?

We are moving ahead with park improvements as our finances allow. If you have a specific concern, please contact one of the Board members.

How can members with common interests (bird watching, gardening, cards, etc.) get together?

There is a website called Nextdoor Vista Bonita where you can post your interests and get in touch with like-minded neighbors.

Are fireworks allowed at Baker Lake Park?

No, the use of fireworks are not allowed at the Baker Lake Park. Violators will be subject to punishment by local authorities.

did you know?

Trivia from our state

Colorado averages 300 days of sunshine a year.
Colorado is the highest state with an average altitude of 6,800 feet.
Colorado contains 75% of the land in the U.S. with an altitude above 10,000 feet.
The Colorado Rockies is part of the North American Cordillera, which stretches 3,000 miles from Alaska, through Canada and the U.S. into Mexico. The centerpieces of the range are the "14ers", peaks over 14,000 feet; there are over 50 14ers in Colorado.
The world's largest flattop mountain is in Grand Mesa.
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument near Cripple Creek is a history lesson set in the one-time shadow of the Guffey Volcano. The volcano erupted millions of years ago, creating fossils and leaving the valley filled with petrified trees.
The tallest sand dune in America is in Great Sand Dunes National Park outside Alamosa. This 46,000-acre landscape of 700-foot sand peaks was created by ocean waters and wind more than one million years ago.
There are 11 national forests within Colorado as well as many state parks and recreation areas.
The United States Government owns more than 1/3 of the land (15 million acres) in Colorado. The Bureau of Land Management controls more than 8 million acres of public land.
Colorado has 222 state wildlife areas.
Colorado is second in the nation for variety of birds.
There are nearly 20 rivers where headwaters begin in Colorado, with the Continental Divide directing each river's course. Colorado is the mother of rivers.
Colorado is only one of two states in the United States in which all the water in the state flows out. No water flows into Colorado. The other state is Hawaii.
The world's largest natural hot springs pool covers 2 blocks in Glenwood Springs.
Dinosaur National Monument, in northwestern Colorado, is one of many locations pre-historic fossils have been found in the state. The bones of 10 types of dinosaurs have been found there alone. The area's human culture history dates back more than 10,000 years - petroglyphs and pictographs can be found along the canyon walls of the Yampa and Green Rivers.
Near Cortez, Colorado, Mesa Verde features an elaborate four-story city carved by the Ancestral Puebloans between 550 and 1300 A.D. The mystery surrounding this ancient cultural landmark is the sudden disappearance of the thousands of inhabitants who created the more than 4,000 identified structures. Mesa Verde is the first national park created solely to preserve the work of humans.
Between 1763 and 1848, Colorado belonged in varying proportions to France, Spain, Mexico, and the Republic of Texas.
Colorado's first and oldest military post, Fort Garland, was established in 1858 and commanded by the legendary frontiersman, Kit Carson.
In 1859, John Gregory discovered "The Gregory Lode" in a gulch near Central City. Within 2 weeks, the gold rush was on and within 2 months the population grew to 10,000 people who were in search of their fortunes. It came to be known as "The Richest Square Mile on Earth".
On February 28, 1861, when the Colorado Territory was created, the present boundaries were established and have remained unchanged to the present time.
Colorado's southwest corner borders Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, the only place in America where the corners of four states meet.
Golden served as the state capitol for the first several years of Colorado's statehood, until Denver was officially named capitol in 1867.
Many of the early settlers, miners, and politicians in Colorado were German - the original state constitution was written in English, Spanish, and German.
Built in 1867 by Seth Lake, the Astor House in Golden was the first stone hotel built west of the Mississippi River.
The world's first rodeo was held on July 4th, 1869, in Deer Trail.
The highest mountain pass road in the U.S. crosses Mosquito Pass (13,188 feet) between Leadville and Fairplay. Organized in 1878, Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the United States at 10,430 feet above sea level.
The Durango and Silverton narrow gauge railroad has been in continuous operation since 1881. The line was constructed primarily to haul mine ores, both gold and silver, from the San Juan Mountains. The railroad continues to provide year-round train service and has appeared in more than a dozen movies including "How the West was Won" (1963) and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969).
The Pike's Peak Cog Railway is the highest railroad in the United States at 14,110 feet.
Each year over 400,000 people ascend Pike's Peak; constructed in 1889, the road climbs 10 14,110 feet above sea level.
Butch Cassidy committed his first bank robbery in Telluride in 1889. He and his gang often hid out in Brown's Park in northwest Colorado.
John Henry "Doc" Holliday's brief and tumultuous existence led him to Glenwood Springs where he succumbed to tuberculosis and died at the Hotel Glenwood on November 8, 1887.
President Theodore Roosevelt was a hunting enthusiast and naturalist - he made many trips to Colorado staying at Denver's Oxford Hotel, the Brown Palace and the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray. During a stay at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs the Teddy Bear was invented when hotel maids sewed and stuffed a toy bear to cheer the president up after a fruitless grizzly hunt.
Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to write "America the Beautiful" atop Pike's Peak overlooking Colorado Springs.
The Denver Mint started minting U.S. gold and silver coins in 1906.
The first license plate on a car in the U.S. was issued in Denver in 1908.
Old Town Fort Collins was the inspiration for Disneyland's Main Street.