Pueblo Lakes, Rivers Allow Good Times to Flow
Pueblo bubbles over with assets, from its energetic nightlife to its rich culture and heritage.
But perhaps the city’s most attractive qualities can be found in its beautiful lakes and rivers, which offer endless recreation opportunities under year-round sunny skies.
“People love to go jet skiing, boogie boarding and kayaking. Pueblo has a great man-made urban kayak course [the Pueblo Whitewater Park] between Union Avenue and Fourth Street that has eight different features, like waves and drops,” says Bob Walker, owner of The Edge Ski, Paddle and Pack store. “The kayak course has made kayaking more user-friendly by eliminating the need to drive out of town.”
A native of Pueblo, Walker has more than 20 years’ experience in water sports and opened The Edge Ski, Paddle and Pack store in 1995. The store sells kayaks, boogie boards, surfboards, life jackets, water clothes and other outdoor sporting goods.
“We focus mostly on whitewater and recreational kayaking,” Walker says. “Nearly every day, we get visitors from Colorado Springs and other areas who are coming to Pueblo specifically for water sports. The Pueblo Reservoir has great paddling with lots of coves and wildlife. And going down the Arkansas River to town is about a 10-mile stretch of beautiful paddling almost year-round.”
Lake Pueblo State Park is the most visited state park in Colorado, and for good reason. The lake features more than 60 miles of shoreline and 4,500 acres of surface water.
“Lake Pueblo is great for boating, wake boarding and jet skiing, and tubing is huge,” says Nick Patrick, a clerk for Lake Pueblo North Shore Marina. “There’s just about any water sport you can think of. I’ve even seen parasailing out here.”
North Shore Marina offers 608 boat slips, the Water Street Café, restrooms and showers, and a Ship’s Store that sells snacks, ice cream, fishing and sports equipment, boating parts, and water rafts and toys.
“We get a lot of visitors from Denver and Colorado Springs that park their boats at our marina and use our barbecue grills,” Patrick says. “A lot of people like to anchor their boats out in the coves and stay overnight, too.”
For a leisurely day on the water, the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo is a scenic place to stroll along the riverfront or take a relaxing pontoon boat ride while learning about local heritage.
“The boat rides are the main attraction at the Riverwalk,” says Erin Regrutto, director of marketing and special events for the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo. “Every boat has a captain who gives an overview of the history of Pueblo and the Riverwalk. It’s very informative and cohesive because it’s an overview of our entire community. There are also a couple of areas along the Riverwalk where you can stop and read about Pueblo’s history.”
The Riverwalk is a $24 million project that opened in 2000 and has served as a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Pueblo. It attracted more than 200,000 visitors during its first year and continues to be a popular downtown recreation spot.
“The river is so beautiful, and there is well-manicured landscaping,” Regrutto says. “A lot of events are held at the Riverwalk throughout the year. An outdoor farmers’ market offers food and entertainment in the summer. And there is outdoor entertainment every Friday and Saturday night from May to September.”
What’s more, the development of the Riverwalk is bringing more and more commercial success to downtown.
“It’s such a unique thing – there’s nothing like it in Colorado,” Regrutto says. “If you look at a map of Pueblo, you can see how the Riverwalk supported and inspired a lot of the development downtown. It’s by far one of the gems in our community.”
