Lathrop State Park
Lathrop State Park, U.S. State of Colorado’s first state park, was dedicated in June 1962,and named after Harold W. Lathrop, the state’s first director of the the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation.
Located a few miles west of the city of Walsenburg, between Denver and the New Mexico state border, the park lies in the transitional zone between the plains and the mountains.
It consists of 1,594 acres, including a lake and a reservoir.
Activities in the park include camping, picknicking, boating, water skiing, jet skiing, wind surfing, hiking, bird watching, wildlife viewing, fishing, and golfing. There are two campgrunds, two major trails, and a wetlands boardwalk.
Weathering has produced a fantasy of curious formations in the sandstone ledges around the park, carving a maze of pathways and caves for the inquisitive to explore.
The predominant ecosystem in the park is piñon-juniper woodland.
The new visitor centre offers a panoramic view of the distant montains. Paintings and displays depict wildlife and Colorado history.
See map of the park.
We would like to thank Jonathan D. Kelly, Seasonal Interpreter of Lathrop State Park, for providing information for this page.
(This page was updated in November 2012.)
