Walsenburg - city in and county seat of Huerfano County, Colorado, United States

The old Huerfano County Courthouse on Main Street in Walsenburg Walsenburg is the county seat of Huerfano County, Colorado, USA. Once called "La Plaza de los Leones," Walsenburg sits at an altitude of 6,171 feet (1,881 m) above sea level on the geological border between Colorado's Eastern Plains to the east and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west. A major freight rail line goes right through downtown, with the trains blowing their horns and briefly halting traffic at five at-grade crossings all hours of the day and night.

Understand

Although it's an incorporated city with just over 3,000 residents (2019), Walsenburg has a rural, small-town atmosphere. It's surrounded by cattle ranches and housing subdivisions with large lots, in homes often occupied by the many retirees that live in the county. Walsenburg is often called a "crossroads town," because anyone traveling from Interstate 25 to the San Luis Valley or beyond turns west here, traveling on U.S. Highway 160 through downtown.

The Spanish Peaks, two adjacent, prominent mountains, lie just southwest of Walsenburg and are an important part of its identity. Huerfano County is home to numerous geological dikes, including one that marks much of Walsenburg's northern border, called "The Hogback."

Once an important coal-mining center, Walsenburg's economy now relies on real estate, retail, restaurants, tourism, government, and health care. Some residents commute to Pueblo for work.

Get in

By car

  • I-25 (north and south) is the major interstate leading in and out of the city.
  • U.S. Highway 160 connects Walsenburg to Alamosa and Durango to the west.
  • Colorado State Highway 10 connects Walsenburg to La Junta.

By bus

See also: Long-distance bus travel in the United States

Greyhound has one bus in each direction (north, south) each day.

See

The Walsenburg Mining Museum is housed in the former county jail

Museum

  • Walsenburg Mining Museum, 112 W. 5th Street (Behind the old courthouse in the old jail building), 37.6246°, -104.7823°, +1 719 738-1992. "The Walsenburg Mining Museum, housed in an 1896 jail, exhibits not only the stories of Huerfano County's mining camps, but memorabilia from such notable characters as Bob Ford (famous for killing Jesse James) and labor leader Mary 'Mother' Jones." Open from April to November. 2020-06-19

Movie theater

Parks

Do

Festivals & events

  • September Mountain Mining Days includes a parade, displays of antique and special cars, vendor booths, and other events.
  • November The Parade of Lights on the Friday after Thanksgiving, on Main Street.

Golfing

Walsenburg Municipal Golf Course, 1399 County Road 502 (Enter through Lathrop State Park; no park fee required if going directly to the golf course.), 37.6159°, -104.8261°, +1 719 738-7230. 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM. Nine holes. See the "Eat" section below for detail on the golf course's restaurant. 2020-06-18

Buy

There are several shops, including several antique stores, on and near Main Street.

Eat

Waiting for the train on West 7th Street The restaurants listed below are in addition to the Subway, Carls Jr., KFC, and Taco Bell locations in downtown Walsenburg and its Northlands neighborhood. There is also a second Subway and a Godfather's Pizza at the new Love's Travel Stop at Interstate 25's Exit 49. Love's Travel Stop's address is 99800 Interstate 25, Walsenburg, Colorado.

Downtown

Northlands

Walsenburg's Northlands neighborhood is 2.5 miles north of downtown on Walsen Avenue at Interstate 25 exit 52.

  • A & W, 455 US Highway 85-87 (inside the convenience store at the truck stop), 37.6535°, -104.7940°. Daily 10:30AM to 9PM. 2020-06-16
  • George's Drive Inn, 564 Hwy 85-87 (Located in Walsenburg's Northlands section, 2.5 miles north of downtown at Interstate 25 exit 52.), 37.6526°, -104.7920°, +1 719 738-3030. 6AM to 3PM. Breakfast and lunch only. 2020-06-16

East side

  • TC's Diner, 284 Highway 10 (Just east of Interstate 25 on Highway 10 (East 5th St.)), 37.6319°, -104.7667°, +1 719 989-7141. Monday-Friday 11AM to 7PM. Closed weekends. Tasty American and Mexican food in a friendly atmosphere 2020-06-16

At the golf course

Drink

Lake Martin at Lathrop State Park just west of Walsenburg, with the Spanish Peaks

Coffee

Bars

Sleep

Lodging

Camping

Go next

  • 16 miles west of Walsenburg is the sleepy hamlet of La Veta. An artsy town, you can visit the galleries along Main Street.

  • Further up the canyon from La Veta lies Cuchara, an unincorporated town in a forested valley surrounded by the San Isabel National Forest and the Culebra Range, a sub-range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Huerfano County's first county park, Cuchara Mountain Park, is here. A former ski resort, the alpine park now offers hiking and other activities. Cuchara has a one-block long 'downtown' section with some shops and restaurants. There are several trailheads along Highway 12 in Cuchara as well.

  • Colorado State Highway 12 connects with U.S. Highway 160 north of La Veta and then goes south and then west to Trinidad. It passes through La Veta and Cuchara and then crosses Cucharas Pass (10,000 feet) before entering Las Animas County, eventually reaching its terminus in Trinidad.

Walsenburg

cityofwalsenburg.com
Postal code:81089Date Time:Please wait...Timezone:America/DenverPopulation:3,049Coordinates:37.63, -104.78

Huerfano County

2nd-order administrative division

Colorado

Primary administrative division

United States

usa.gov
Population:327.2 MDial code:+1Currency:Dollar (USD)Voltage:120 V, 240 V, 60 Hz
NEMA 14-30NEMA 14-50