Lathrop State Park is Walsenburg's outdoor anchor, spread around Martin Lake and Horseshoe Lake with the Spanish Peaks rising to the southwest. It was Colorado's first state park, and it still has the simple appeal that made the site obvious: water in a dry landscape, mountain views, picnic spots, and trails through pinyon-juniper country.
Boating, fishing, paddling, swimming, golf, and short hikes all fit here. The Hogback Trail is the best quick walk if you want views of the peaks, the plains, and the volcanic dikes that give this part of Huerfano County its hard-edged look.