Recreation and Tourism

Recreation Opportunities

Recreational opportunities include surrounding public lands, state and local parks, and county trails.

(Source: 2015 Comprehensive Plan – pg. 8)

1. Create partnerships and work with other agencies to improve recreational opportunities for local residents and visitors
   1. Huerfano School District RE-1 to develop a comprehensive program for youth recreation activities and share recreational assets. 
   2. Huerfano County to improve Fiesta Park. 
   3. Huerfano County to extend a regional trail along the Cucharas River from Lathrop State Park to Walsenburg. 
   4. Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) to plan, design and construct a multi—generation recreation center. 
2. Identify and prioritize needs to improve recreational opportunities. 
3. Inventory existing trails and identify areas for maintenance improvements, needed connections and future extensions. 
4. Improve tennis courts at Civic League Park and City Park. 
5. Work with property owners to provide easements and develop a local trail system along the irrigation ditches within Walsenburg. 
6. Work with property owners to provide easements and develop a regional trail along the Cucharas River, with access from Fiesta Park. 
7. Included in the adopted resolution that the Plan meets the intent of HB 1006 by including background information on parks trails and recreation in Walsenburg and the surrounding area. 
8. Provide a recreation element and an economic Development element with major strategies and specific action items that address recreation and tourism uses. 

State Law requires the City of Walsenburg Planning and Zoning Commission to adopt a Master Plan for the future development of the City which includes a Recreation and Tourism element.

A master plan adopted in accordance with the requirements of subsection (4) of this section shall contain a recreational and tourism uses element pursuant to which the municipality shall indicate how it intends to provide for the recreational and tourism needs of residents of the municipality and visitors to the municipality through delineated areas dedicated to, without limitation, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, cross country skiing, rafting, fishing, boating, hunting, and shooting, or any other form of sports or other recreational activity, as applicable, and commercial facilities supporting such uses.
CRS 31-23-206(5)

This required element is contained in the 2015 Walsenburg Comprehensive Plan.

(Source: 2015 Comprehensive Plan – pg.26-27)

1. Fiesta Park once served as the County Fairgrounds and rodeo area. The 20 acre site now hosts a baseball field and a softball field with lights, a horseshoe pit a picnic area and playground. Fiesta Park is located at 928 Russell which is adjacent to the Huerfano Community Center and, with principal access from Russell Street.
2. City Park, located at 700 West 7th Street (US Highway 160) includes a skateboard park, picnic pavilion, a new playground and restroom facilities.
3. Walsenburg Wild Waters is an outdoor aquatic center opened in 2007. It is located at City Park which is 701 W. Seventh Street. The Aquatic Park has four different pools. Two water slides and interactive water features including fountains, sprays, and dumping buckets. The aquatic center also has dressing rooms, a snack bar and a visitor center. Constructed with more than $420,000 in Colorado Lottery funds, the Walsenburg Wild Waters Aquatic Park won the 2007 Starburst Community Award for excellence in the use of lottery proceeds.
4. Civic League Park is located at 101 S. Hendren Street and is actually two parks, split by Hendren Avenue. On the west side of Hendren Avenue is a basketball court, indoor handball courts and tennis court. On the east side of Hendren Avenue is a playground, picnic facilities, and restrooms.
5. Heritage Park is located 401 Main Street across from the Courthouse. The historic train depot located at Heritage Park serves as the offices of the Chamber of Commerce. The potential exists to consolidate the offices of the Walsenburg Tourism Board and Walsenburg Historical Society at the depot.
6. Miners Park also known as the Pocket Park located at the corner of Main and 6th street is awaiting construction pending grant approval.

(Source: 2015 Comprehensive Plan – pg. 27)

1. In addition to five community parks, the Huerfano School District RE-1 has playgrounds at its schools and has improved land on the northwest side of Walsenburg, just outside of City limits, for a sports complex that can augment community recreation needs.
2. The sports complex, with access from Maple Street/CR 590, will include an eight lane running track, a lite artificial surface activity field designed to accommodate football and soccer, 3 restroom/concession building, seating capacity for over 2000 spectators and a parking lot designed for 100 vehicles.
3. Lathrop State Park, located three miles west of Walsenburg off US 160 is a 1500-acre state park managed by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. The State Park, annually hosts approximately 225,000 visitors
4. The Walsenburg Golf Club, located at the eastern edge of Lathrop State Park, is a public course that offers a nine-hole golf course, and a restaurant.

(Source: 2015 Comprehensive Plan – pg. 27-28)

1. Lathrop State Park offers an abundance of trails,
2. Walsenburg has one County-owned regional trail that extends from the western edge of town to the Walsenburg Golf Club. Future plans include extending this trail from Lathrop State Park into Spanish Peaks Subdivision Filing Number 2 to US 160.
3. CDOT seeks to improve non-motorized transportation access to recreation areas, inclusive of developing a continuous bike/pedestrian trail along the Highway of Legends Scenic and Historic Byway (State Highway 12), and connection of this trail loop to Walsenburg.