A creek with water Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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The park terrain, except for the hogback, is more or less level averaging 6425 feet of elevation. The hogback on the park north boundary gains 40 feet to 140 feet of elevation. The park ground cover has prairie and juniper prickly with scattered candelabra cholla. The park woodlands are primarily juniper and piñon. Exotic woodlands are cottonwood and Russian olive. The area west of Horseshoe Lake is mostly marsh land with cattails and bulrush the dominant vegetation.
Welcome to Lathrop State Park. We want you to have a good time walking our trails and hiking our terrain through grass, trees, cactus and rocks that may require using your hands seeking your geocache. Be aware that there are rattlesnakes in Lathrop State Park. Specific geocaches inform you of terrain that is more that a casual walk. Most individual geocache description lists a parking lot where you can start your walk, and that gives you time to see what this park is about as you seek your goal. Do not forget to enjoy the view of the mountains on the horizon.
We recommend that you do not use the geocache description Driving Directions printed below the latitude and longitude coordinates. Using the Driving Directions has you parking and walking on private land outside the Lathrop State Park boundary fence. You may be issued a citation and/or have your vehicle towed. There is one fence within Lathrop SP that separates Martin Lake and Horseshoe Lake. This fence has two roads to travel from one lake to the other for you to use. Please use your park map that you were issued when you entered the park to see the park boundary fence.
Lathrop State Park, while sitting in the shadows of the Spanish Peaks, has the honor of being Colorado’s 1st State Park and covers 1594 acres. One of the main features of the park is its two lakes; Martin Lake covers about 180 surface acres while Horseshoe Lake has about 150 surface-acres. Both host a wide range of water activities.
Lathrop State Park is 3 miles west of Walsenburg via US Hwy. 160. Entrance to Lathrop State Park in Walsenburg, CO requires a park pass that can be purchased at the visitor center for display on your vehicle windshield. There is also a self-serving station near the park entrance.
Two types of passes are available: A daily Pass is valid from the day purchased until noon the following day. An Annual Pass is valid at any state park recreation area for the calendar year. Colorado disabled veterans displaying Colorado Disabled Veteran (DV) license plates are admitted free without a pass.
Begin on Memorial Day weekend and ending on Labor Day weekend, each Friday and Saturday and Sundays’ during the 3-day holiday weekend a different illustrated or talks and props presentation is offered at the amphitheater. History, geology, and wildlife of the area are just some of the many programs presented.
Lathrop’s picnic areas, which received an outdoor recreation award for America’s Top 15 Picnic Areas, are situated around both Martin Lake and Horseshoe Reservoir. Each table sits lakeside or a short distance among the trees, has a stand up fire grill, and most tables are shaded. Picnic tables are first-come, first serve basis. Be aware that there are rattlesnakes in the park.
On your walk to the cache you pass the City of Walsenburg Golf Course, and north of the golf course you can see a peak named Walsen Crag rising from the hogback. Walsen Crag played a minor role in the Walsenburg Battle during the 1913-1914 Huerfano County and Las Animas County Coal Field War. A Colorado Militia officer with a few soldiers climbed up Walsen Crag to determine if the fighting coal miners could be flanked. The officer returned to HQ and reported that they could flank the coal miners. The officer was sent back to Walsen Crag with more troops only to discover that several coal miners had climbed Walsen Crag, and they promptly retreated. On their initial trip to scout Walsen Crag they saw the Elk’s Country Club with a very large lake. The large lake is now known as Martin Lake.
Parking is available at the Martin Lake swim beach parking lot. Nearing the cache your route requires you to drop about 20 feet into a ravine that has a small creek running with drainage water. You are now in a deciduous environment of cottonwoods and aspen courtesy of Martin Lake water. The cache is a 1 1/2 inch by 8 inch PVC tube with a removable cap. The cache contains a log to validate your find and souvenirs. Do not spill the contents of the cache when removing and returning souvenirs from the cache. You may replace the souvenir you selected with one of your own of equal or greater value.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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Treasures
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