Lathrop State Park is a
Colorado state park
The system of state parks in Colorado integrates outdoor recreation with tourism. There are currently forty-two parks open to the public, and there is one in development. Colorado State Parks host over eleven million visitors each year. Colorado ...
located west of
Walsenburg
The City of Walsenburg is the Statutory City that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,049 at the 2020 census, down from 3,068 in 2010.
History
Walsenbur ...
. The state purchased the property in 1962 and opened Colorado's first state park here later that same year.
[ It is named after Harold Lathrop, the first director of state parks. The park features two lakes, Martin Lake and Horseshoe Lake, that offer fishing for tiger muskie (46-inch, 25-pound examples have been caught here), rainbow trout, bass, catfish, northern pike, blue gill, saugeye, and wipers.
The park also offers a beach, boating, water skiing, wind surfing, jet skiing, picnicking, hiking, wildlife viewing, camping, and a nine-hole golf course.
Lathrop is the only Colorado state park with its own golf course.]National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
Spanish Peaks
The Spanish Peaks are a pair of prominent mountains located in southwestern Huerfano County, Colorado. The Comanche people call them Huajatolla ( ) or Wa-to-yah meaning "double mountain".
The two peaks, East Spanish Peak at elevation and Wes ...
.
Over 107,000 visitors passed through Lathrop State Park in the last year for which figures are available.
References
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State parks of Colorado
Protected areas of Huerfano County, Colorado
Protected areas established in 1962