Lathrop State Park

State Park in Walsenburg, CO

Hours:

Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Office/Visitor Center: Monday through Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Drive Up Window: Saturday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Entrance Fees:

Daily Vehicle Pass: $​10
Individual Daily Pass: $4

Animals Permitted:

  • Leashed Dogs
  • Service Animals
  • Horses

Park Address:

70 County Road 502
Walsenburg, CO 81089
United States

Contact:

719-738-2376

[email protected]

Fax:

719-738-2388

Lathrop State Park offers visitors two lakes to enjoy, and is the only State Park that adjoins a golf course. 

Lathrop State Park

State Park in Walsenburg, CO

Lathrop State Park offers visitors two lakes to enjoy, and is the only State Park that adjoins a golf course. 

Hours:

Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Office/Visitor Center: Monday through Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Drive Up Window: Saturday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Entrance Fees:

Daily Vehicle Pass: $​10
Individual Daily Pass: $4

Animals Permitted:

  • Leashed Dogs
  • Service Animals
  • Horses

Park Address:

70 County Road 502
Walsenburg, CO 81089
United States

Contact:

719-738-2376

[email protected]

Fax:

719-738-2388

Navigate to:

A boat moving through the water

A boat moving through the water

Welcome to Lathrop State Park

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Colorado’s first state park, Lathrop is 1,451 acres of recreational enjoyment nestled in the shadow of the Spanish Peaks in Southern Colorado. The park’s two lakes offer a variety of water recreation, including boating and angling opportunities.

1,451

acres

40

picnic sites

103

campsites

8

miles of trails

Directions

Accessing the Park

From Walsenburg
Take Highway 160 three miles west from Walsenberg. Turn right on County Road 502. Continue one mile to the park entrance.

    The Lathrop Visitor Center​ and Fee Station is located southeast of the park.

    Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  

    Horseshoe Lake Boat Ramp
    The Horseshoe Lake boat ramp is located on the north side of the lake.

    Martin Lake Boat Ramp
    The Martin Lake boat ramp is located on the southwest side of the lake.

    Accessible Canoe/Kayak Launch
    The ADA-accessible canoe/kayak launch is located on the south side of Horseshoe Reservoir.

    Fees and Passes

    Daily Vehicle Pass

    Single vehicle and its occupants

    1 Day

    $10

    Individual Daily Pass

    For individual entry on foot, bicycle, horseback, etc at select parks

    1 Day

    $4

    Keep Colorado Wild Pass

    DMV vehicle registration renewal option for Colorado residents

    12 Months

    $29

    Annual Vehicle Pass (Affixed)

    Pass for a single vehicle and its occupants

    12 Months

    $80

    Family Annual Pass (Hang Tag)

    Members of the same household

    12 Months

    $120

    Aspen Leaf Annual Pass

    Visitors 64+

    12 Months

    $70

    Centennial Pass

    Income-eligible Colorado residents

    12 Months

    $14

    Columbine Pass

    Colorado residents with disabilities

    12 Months

    $14

    Veterans License Plate

    DMV vehicle registration renewal option for military veterans (disabled veterans or purple heart plates)

    Lifetime

    Free

    Independence Lifetime Pass

    Colorado resident veterans with disabilities

    Lifetime

    Free

    Blue Spruce Pass

    Colorado resident first responders with disabilities

    Lifetime

    $10

    Nature and Wildlife

    At Lathrop State Park, a pinyon-juniper woodland, diverse wetland, shoreline and aquatic plant communities, as well as many migratory birds and several species of raptors, piñon and scrub jays, await the nature enthusiast.

    Be on the Lookout for Birds

    Can you spot all the resident and visiting bird species? Download the Bird List Brochure (PDF).

      Birds You Might Find

      • Bushtit
      • Western Wood-pewee
      • Great Blue Heron
      • Ruddy Duck
      Great blue heron on water's edge

      Mammals You Might Find

      • Muskrat
      • Mule Deer
      • Desert Cottontail
      • Bobcat
      Mule deer buck in velvet grazing a field

      Reptiles and Amphibians You Might Find

      • Prairie Rattlesnake
      • Eastern Collared Lizard
      • Woodhouse's Toad
      • Six-lined Racerunner
      Six-lined racerunner

      Geology at This Park

      Lathrop State Park covers 1,594 acres of land and boasts two reservoirs — Horseshoe and Martin — covering 320 acres and fed by the Cucharas River from nearby mountains. The park features the unique Walsen Ridge, a volcanic dike located on the northern boundary and formed by volcanic activity during the Eocene and Oligocene periods.

      Geologically, Lathrop is framed by the Spanish Peaks and Sangre De Cristo Mountains. The Spanish Peaks, distinct as "stocks,” which are large masses of igneous (molten) rock, formed in a different way than the uplifted Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Notably, the mountains showcase large dikes — intrusive igneous rock formations — that radiate like wheel spokes. Erosion has revealed walls of hard rock, attracting global geologists who've identified over 400 of these remarkable features.

      Park geology

      Habitats and Plants at This Park

      ​​​​​​Ecologically, Lathrop is dominated by pinyon-juniper woodland and mixed-grassland communities. Short-statured pinyon pine and one-seed juniper dominate the woodland, while blue grama, western wheatgrass, purple threeawn and sand dropseed are common grassland species. Common plants associated with both communities include yucca, cholla cactus, rabbitbrush and four-winged saltbush. Diverse wetland, riparian and aquatic plant communities have become established around the reservoirs and dams. Wetlands associated with waterfowl habitat ponds contribute to important watchable wildlife areas.

      Vista of the park

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      History

      During the late 1600s, Spanish conquistadors entered New Mexico and enslaved many Native Americans. Many were able to escape and fled to southern Colorado. In 1778, a battle was initiated between the Spanish troops and the Comanche. After seven battles, which occurred only 20 miles north of Lathrop State Park, the Comanche were defeated, and the chief of the tribe was killed at the base of Greenhorn Mountain along the Greenhorn creek. Both the mountain and the creek were named after the chief.

      Lathrop State Park was introduced as Colorado’s first state park in 1962 and was named after Harold W. Lathrop, who was the first Director of the state parks and recreation board from 1957–1961. The park’s two lakes, Martin Lake and Horseshoe Lake, offer a variety of boating and angling opportunities. Visitors can also take advantage of the fantastic southern Spanish Peaks in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range views while playing a round of golf or hiking along prairie trails.​