Welcome to John Martin
Reservoir State Park, southern Colorado's high desert oasis. Known for
its great boating opportunities, John Martin also has some of the finest
campgrounds and fishing in the state.
In the 1800's Cheyenne Indians had expansive hunting grounds on the prairie of southeast Colorado. Years later, settlers traveled the Santa Fe Trail, which runs through the park along the Arkansas River. In 1939, the US Army Corps of Engineers built John Martin Dam, creating one of the largest reservoirs in Colorado.
Today, visitors come to John Martin to take advantage of great fishing, un-crowded boating waters, state-of-the-art campgrounds, and to see historical signs of the past. They enjoy sun-baked beaches surrounded by sagebrush, yucca, and tamarack trees near the main reservoir. Lake Hasty, located below the dam, provides plentiful shade with cottonwood trees and lush grasses. Lake Hasty is also a great place to view wildlife. Deer, antelope, raccoons, and prairie dogs are all frequently sighted. Bird watchers find vultures in the spring and bald eagles in the fall.
In the summer the campground office and the visitor center are open 8 - 4:30 each day. During the winter, hours are 8 - 4:30, Monday through Friday. When these offices are closed, passes are available at self-service stations at the park entrance. The park is located 19 miles east of Las Animas and 20 miles west of Lamar on the Arkansas River. It can fluctuate from 1,000 to 11,647 surface acres, depending on water levels. Colorado State Parks manages the Lake Hasty area below the dam and the northeast shore of the reservoir from the dam westward to the waterfowl closure line which totals 1,727 acres of land.
In the 1800's Cheyenne Indians had expansive hunting grounds on the prairie of southeast Colorado. Years later, settlers traveled the Santa Fe Trail, which runs through the park along the Arkansas River. In 1939, the US Army Corps of Engineers built John Martin Dam, creating one of the largest reservoirs in Colorado.
Today, visitors come to John Martin to take advantage of great fishing, un-crowded boating waters, state-of-the-art campgrounds, and to see historical signs of the past. They enjoy sun-baked beaches surrounded by sagebrush, yucca, and tamarack trees near the main reservoir. Lake Hasty, located below the dam, provides plentiful shade with cottonwood trees and lush grasses. Lake Hasty is also a great place to view wildlife. Deer, antelope, raccoons, and prairie dogs are all frequently sighted. Bird watchers find vultures in the spring and bald eagles in the fall.
In the summer the campground office and the visitor center are open 8 - 4:30 each day. During the winter, hours are 8 - 4:30, Monday through Friday. When these offices are closed, passes are available at self-service stations at the park entrance. The park is located 19 miles east of Las Animas and 20 miles west of Lamar on the Arkansas River. It can fluctuate from 1,000 to 11,647 surface acres, depending on water levels. Colorado State Parks manages the Lake Hasty area below the dam and the northeast shore of the reservoir from the dam westward to the waterfowl closure line which totals 1,727 acres of land.
