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From the East
Take U.S. Highway 50 west from Lamar approximately 20 miles to Hasty. Turn
south on School Street and proceed approximately 2 miles. The Visitor Center
is on the right as the road curves to the east.
From the West
Take U.S. Highway 50 east from La Junta to Las Animas, approximately 20
miles. Proceed east through Las Animas to Hasty, approximately 16 miles.
Turn south on School Street and proceed approximately 2 miles. The Visitor
Center is on the right as the road curves to the east.
The Arkansas Valley offers a variety of water sports at various lakes. Options include boating, sail boating, water skiing, and wind surfing. Warm water fishing is available in the area's lakes and reservoirs. Trout is stocked in Holbrook and Ordway reservoirs.
For thousands of years before Euro-American expeditions in the west, numerous Native American groups lived on the Great Plains. Many wintered in the Arkansas River valley, especially in the "Big Timbers", an area historically covered with large cottonwood trees, located downstream of the dam. With shelter, water and abundant food, the valley provided good camping.
John Martin Reservoir State Park, in Hasty, Colorado has a brand new retail store which opened for business on June 29. The store features John Martin Reservoir State Park clothing and gift items, field guides and other books, boat safety supplies, personal sundries, drinks, and snacks. The John Martin Visitor Center also features nature displays and mounts of geese, duck, pheasant and deer.
In addition to the store and displays, John Martin is also host to Playarama, a traveling exhibit from the Northwest Texas Museum Association. Playarama has been at John Martin since July 4, 2006 and will be there until August 26, 2006 in the Visitor Center. The John Martin Visitor Center offers visitors and locals a fascinating and engaging stop on their way into the park. To find out more about all this water and plains park has to offer, visit John Martin on their website.
Before the thirteen colonies were established, Spanish explorers venture into the Great Plains in the 1500s. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the earliest documented American expedition through the valley was that of Lt. Zebulon Pike in 1806. In the immediate vicinity of the Project area, Pike first reported the sighting of the magnificent Rocky Mountains. The Lewis and Clark, Pike, Long, and Fremont expeditions gave rise to the creation of the U. S. Army Topographical Engineers. These schooled geographers were the first scientists to chronicle the West and were a precursor to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The map below is a portion of the map documenting the route of Lt. Zebulon Pike's 1806 expedition through present day John Martin Reservoir. Note the spelling of the "Arkansaw" River! Notes on the map are barely readable and I was able to discern the following:
1. Here the Mountains are first seen.
2. Bottom- between this fork & main River.
3. Broken with small Ravines & Creeks.
4. Cotton Wood becomes frequent.
5. The whole of this Stretch is...both sides of the River by extensive...not
a stick of timber except a few clumps of Cotton Wood.
6. This Stretch of the River is Curved...
7. Innumerable Herds of Buffaloes. ...
Early explorers, fur trappers, and the 1821 Mexican independence from
Spain led to the opening of the Santa Fe Trail trade. Bent's Old Fort was
the most renowned landmark on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.
Established about 1833 by Ceran St. Vrain and Charles and William Bent,
it served as a non-military post and center for the Mexican and Great Plains
trade. The Santa Fe Trail carried many immigrants west along the river valley
leaving a legacy and the wagon tracks still visible today. Reaching Santa
Fe in 1880, the railroad brought a halt to the wagon trade.
With the Plains Indians forced onto reservations, the frontier era came to a close. The region slowly filled with the families of ranchers and farmers. The valley continued to suffer occasional floods and the area survived the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Drastic floods throughout the United States in the early 1900s raised concerns and the need for John Martin Reservoir was born.
John A. Martin, Congressman was the greatest advocate of the Caddoa
Dam project. Primarily through his efforts, legislation for the project
was passed by Congress. Congress passed legislation that assigned the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers with providing flood protection for the public's
safety. The 1939 Roosevelt approval meant the government would spend millions
on buying more than 20,000 acres of land and 21 miles of Santa Fe Railroad
tracks would have to be moved. Due to WWII, it wasn't until 1946 when the
project was back on track and finally completed in 1948. The length of the
dam is 2.6 miles with a height of 118 feet. Its discharge capacity is 639,200
feet with a drainage area of 18,913 square miles.
Representing the Third District of southeastern Colorado, John Martin faithfully served in Congress for two periods, 1909-1913 and 1932-1939. Martin consistently fought for humane legislation and the welfare of his state. Martin was also instrumental in passing legislation for the Social Security Act. In June 1940, the Caddoa Project was renamed John Martin Dam and Reservoir in honor of the late Congressman.
John Martin Reservoir and Lake Hasty are located off Hwy 50 near Hasty.
John Martin Reservoir is located on the Arkansas River, 1,159 miles upstream
from its confluence with the Mississippi River. The project is located between
Las Animas and Lamar, Colorado. The concrete and earthen dam serves to protect
the Arkansas River Valley from potential flooding originating in the 18,
915 miles of the river's watershed. John Martin Reservoir is the largest
body of water in southeast Colorado and a Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Site. The reservoir is administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
A portion of the reservoir is leased to Colorado Sate Parks. The blue waters
of the lake allow visitors a chance to enjoy a fun day or weekend of swimming,
picnicking, camping, boating, water skiing, sailing, jet skiing, or windsurfing.
Fishing is another popular activity on the reservoir, Lake Hasty and nearby
rivers. The area also provides hiking, picnicking and sight-seeing opportunities.
Hunting opportunities are available in the nearby state wildlife area. Information
kiosks, a DAR marker and SFT wagon ruts can also be found at the reservoir.
Click here for a printable map of John Martin Reservoir.
Fishing in John Martin Reservoir can be excellent for walleye, saugeye,
wiper, large- and small-mouth bass, crappie, and blue gill catfish. Lake
Hasty is stocked with rainbow and cutthroat trout each spring and fall.
Historic National Cemetery at New Fort Lyon. Open 8AM- 5 PM daily. Present day New Fort Lyon is a Veteran Administration hospital. It was originally established in 1867 to protect travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Many buildings from the 1860s remain. Boggsville Historic Site, located 2 miles south of Las Amimas features historic buildings and special events. Contact the Bent County Chamber of Commerce at 719-456-0453 for more information. Bent's Old Fort, a National Historic Site, reconstructed by the National Park Service to appear as it looked in 1845-46. Enjoy the historic atmosphere daily. Contact the Fort for special events at 719-383-5010. Colorado Welcome Center, located on Highway 50-287 in Lamar offers a wealth of area information. Phone 719-336-3483.
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