Runyon Lake — Attraction in Pueblo

I'm sure this place is a great retreat for its nearby neighbors, and I accept that others may have fun here and enjoy walking along the few trails around the "lake" (I'm from Texas, and this isn't a lake).

The lake, parking lot, and trails around the lake attract both weekend fisherman and nature enthusiasts, but the parking lot also attracts an eclectic group from the fringes of society.

The area attracts the occasional, harmless drifter making his or her way through on the way to none of my business. Many local fisherman frequent the small lake, so it might be stocked with fish.

And It isn't unusual for a smattering of overnight, car-dwellers to stake out a spot near the lake for the night, along with a few brave teenagers every once in a while who have nowhere else to park, either to smoke pot or to indulge some other pubescent pastime.

What makes the lake area so inviting for teens making out and others sleeping in their cars is, however, the biggest reason I avoid this spot after dark.

Although just a stones through form the Runyon sports complex, the lack of outdoor lighting around the lake makes this place feel like serial killer central. Berkowitz never had such an easy hunting ground, and walking around the lake at night is an exercise in looking over your shoulder, especially when alone.

You just get the feeling you are being stalked, watched, hunted, and there is a sense that the only reason I've ever made it out alive after being there after dark is because the murderer who was sizing me up from dark behind a tree decided I...

This place may have had a shady reputation in the past, but give it another chance. The pueblo conservancy district owns it now and they keep it free of trash, and no homeless wandering around, its stocked with fish regularly. Also the hours changed and its no longer open over night. There's restrooms and parking. The river trail around it is clean and there's dog poo stations with bags. New ownership has made a world...

I just walked around Runyon Lake and the area could use some TLC. I saw lots of trash and some very high grass that needed mowing. I did smell an odor that was very unpleasant the entire time walking around the lake. There were a few people fishing but I would not eat any fish from this murky smelly water. This could be a nice park...