You don't accidentally end up at Bottomless Lakes State Park you make the choice to drift a little off the grid. It's a short drive out of Roswell, but it feels like you've stepped into a quieter, older story. Legend says they tried to measure the lake with ropes tied end to end and never hit bottom. Maybe that's true. Maybe it's just a good tale told over a couple beers. Either way, standing there, staring into that dark water, you start to feel it--that little itch in your brain that wonders if everything you've been told is only half the story. We rolled in like we knew what we were doing cooler packed, grill fired up, chicken skewers sizzling, jalapeño poppers snapping over the flame, and my buddy throwing together something that leaned suspiciously close to Hawaiian poke. No crowds. No noise but what we brought with us. Bose speaker cranked, music bouncing off the water, beers cracking open one after another like punctuation marks in a long, lazy sentence. It wasn't polished. It wasn't fancy. It was just right. That's the thing about a place like this it doesn't try to impress you. It just sits there, quiet and a little mysterious, letting you project whatever story you came with. Some of it feels real. Some of it feels like the kind of myth you tell because reality isn't quite enough. Either way, it sticks with you. Bottom line off the beaten path, a little rough around the edges, and exactly the kind of place that earns its spot on the list. read more

Bottomless Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

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Just outside of Roswell is a wonderful camping park surrounded by Pecos Diamonds, short trails, and swimming holes. We just dropped in during the winter months on a beautiful sunny afternoon to watch the NM sun go down over the west horizon. We stopped by the visitor center and met volunteers, Will and Jody. Let me just say they were super friendly and knowledgeable about the park. When we come back it will certainly be because of these awesome hosts...they were living their best lives. I was jealous. We drove over to a couple of the lakes. We checked out Mirror Lake and the Devil's Inkwell. They both had small trails around them to view the watering hole and the surrounding layers of red quartz on limestone. The area around Lea Lake is better set up for picnics, swimming, and water sports. It was closed for the season, but would open in the Spring. Tip: Make a reservation for space during the warmer months. It was a great outdoor distraction just outside Roswell. Beautiful sunsets, and super calm during the winter. read more

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Didn't spend too much time in the park itself, but more time talking to Will at the ranger center. He gave us cool info about the park and recommended reading material they provided for free regarding NM travel ideas. They ask a $10 fee for out of state visitors for a day pass. The pay system is either archaic (filling out a form via pen) or registering online to pay (adding all your personal info to create an account and still filling out a form). We are pro-parks, so we dont mind paying a fee, but I wish they'd make it easier. The park is a big loop with 2 walking trails. It seems that the star of the show is Lea Lake...the bottomless lake. Its underwhelming to look at to be honest. I gave this 5 stars bc it needs to be visited and loved and protected. read more

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Great place to visit for a day trip! Hiking trail (Bluff Trail) very doable for a middle-aged out-of-shape person (friend of mine), very helpful and accommodating park host (Jack), and best of all -- incredible views of both the surrounding cliffs/bluffs, as well as the distant mountains. Highly recommended! read more

We visited the park on a sunny and windy November day. We first stopped at the visitor center. It gave some informative information about the park. The ranger there was really funny. They also have indoor bathrooms here. Then we drove over to Lea lake. It looks like a beautiful place to swim in the summer. There are several campsites available in the park. Then we took a hike on the bluff trail. It is about a mile long. Grab a flyer before walking at the trailhead it informs you about plants, animals and lakes along the trail. There is a cool picnic spot some of the stops require a short walk off the main trail but worth the view. read more

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Bottomless Lakes State Park is not too far from Roswell and allows for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking and camping. My husband and our little girl dog decided to make a short drive out here while we visited Roswell on a Friday afternoon and arrived around 3:45 pm. Normally admission is $5 for a day pass but the visitor center was closed (possible due to the pandemic) but the entrance was open. With the lakes here at this state park (which there are about 9 and not really lakes), it was created due to the ancient sea covering this area millions and millions of years ago. When it had evaporated, it left salt and gypsum deposits. Gypsum is made of evaporated minerals that include sulfur and calcium (which also forms the sand dunes at the White Sands National Park by the way). Eventually these deposits gradually dissolved due to rain and ceilings collapsed into sinkholes (the lakes that I was referring to that aren't really lakes). The water itself that you see have a greenish blue color because of the aquatic plants that give the illusion of the great depth of the lakes. Because these sinkholes have steep sides and dark water color, it gave early explorers the idea that the depths of these lakes were bottomless (thus the name of the state park) but the actually range from 17- 90 feet deep. The state park has some portapotties but there are also regular restrooms by the visitor center (we didn't use them on this visit so I cannot comment on the cleanliness). We spent about an hour here visiting 4 of the lakes. It was sunny on the day we came but also quite cold, so we didn't explore as much. It was nice to come out here since we had already done most of the tourist stuff that you could do in Roswell (most of the alien themed things are on Main Street, all of which are very close to each other). Worth a visit if you would like to see mother nature with her beautiful rock formation and lakes (sinkholes). When we came, we only saw 2 other couples. But for the most part, it was rather empty which was nice. read more

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It's original, I will give it that. My daughter and I were having one of our New Mexico vacations and we decided to drive to the East part of The state. We checked to see what sites might be worth stopping by and Bottomless lake was a place that definitely sounded interesting. It was only a couple hours from Albuquerque. We got there at midday. There wasn't many other people there, a few people camping. When we got to the lakes we did enjoy that we were some of the only people. The view was different. A tall cliff behind lakes. It was a series of small dark lakes. It was a serene place. It is sorta in the open but also tucked away from the open plains. We visited 3 of the lakes. There wasn't much to do unless we wanted to swim in the one that is seemed authorized to swim in(my dad said he swam in all of them as a kid). It's not as visually stunning as some places, but it was a nice spot to stop in. read more

Bottomless Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

It was beautiful and interesting but I give it 3 stars because I wouldn't recommend making a far drive for it. If you're in Roswell definitely stop by but it wasn't much to see. Maybe if you go swimming. read more

Bottomless Lakes State Park - Parks Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

$5 well spent. Very scenic park ~15 mins east of Roswell. We went in early April; outside temp was perfect but water was very cold. Seems like they have a lot of amenities Memorial to Labor Day- boat rental, etc. Would love to try to scuba dive the lake! read more

Bottomless Lake doesn't refer to the dress code!!! These Bottomless Lakes seem so much out of place around this part of the Southwest. It's these dark, deep pools of cold water that seem to be coming out of craters. The water doesn't look appealing, instead it looks foreboding and dangerous, since it's so dark and deep. These bottomless lakes are a relic of the days when this was a bed of a vast sea, and all this stuff that dissolves away settled to the bottom and created caves that collapsed upon themselves to create these lakes. The lakes are very deep for their size, and apparently are all connected by an underground water source. One visitor told me that when people occasionally drown in the lakes, they get washed up 20-30 miles away in another lake. Water churns from the last lake, Lea Lake into a canal that goes out to a waterfowl watching area on the other side of the highway from the lakes. I was displeased that Bottomless Lakes locked up their bathrooms, and didn't have facilities available near the swimming area when I went. I camped out here for the night, with good facilities. They had 30 amp electricity and water with a good parking spot and a little shelter with a picnic table. The spot wasn't too big and all the neighbors were in direct view. The nature trails were nice! They had informative signs along the way to describe what you're looking at. This place is so weird- there are gypsum rocks everywhere that are so easy to smash with your boots, and red crystals in the rocks. The salt content or whatever seems to make crystals everywhere on the sand. It's a really interesting hike! read more

We have been camping here for almost two weeks. The water has been wonderful since temperatures have been in the 100's. We have our inflatable kayaks so that has been so convenient since the lake is so close. I love how dog friendly the State Park is. They can go in the water with us. The red bluffs are absolutely gorgeous especially at sunset. We have enjoyed walking the boardwalk in the wetlands. My only complaint is the trash the day use visitors leave everywhere. It is on the beach, in the shelters and along the shore. The park staff clean it up every day but they aren't making a dent in how much trash is here. People need to be held accountable for littering. read more

Another Majestic Place in New Mexico!! I have to say, this is a magical place, please take your time to take it all in. I was in Roswell for a few hours and had a long drive to Odessa. I had always wanted to visit these lakes and finally, I had a few hours left before the sun went down. The Bottomless Lakes State Park is only about 20 miles from Roswell and easy to get to as there are signs everywhere. The scenery is very picturesque and you will find, desert, hills, mountains, that red rock that defines the Southwest, cliffs, and blue blue sky. My first stop was the Lazy Lagoon a slowly evaporating body of water, still nice to look at but seemed a little too muddy to take the time to go down the hill and check it out. It is still a very nice photo op if that's your thing. My second stop was the first of the actual Bottomless Lakes this one was called Cottonwood Lake. There are parking and campgrounds at all the lakes, some with facilities, but mostly rough camping at the smaller lakes. Cottonwood lake is carved out in the rocks and surrounded by rocky cliffs, be careful, if you want to swim you will need ropes and please use the buddy system as the lake is deep and its in a rocky depression in the ground. It is still a very really nice area to relax walk around and take photos of. Next up was Mirror Lake which is one lake with two sides separated by a sand bar. This lake is a little bigger than Cottonwood Lake and easier to walk around in. One side is flatter and the other side surrounded by rocky cliffs. The next lake was Inkwell lake, near the Devils inkwell campground. this lake is very small and it's literally a hole in the ground surrounded by cliffs, and it's hard to get to the water itself. Be careful here as it could be dangerous if you fall in (I almost did). The next lake was Figure 8 Lake, like Mirror Lake its two lakes separated by a rocky causeway. A little bigger than Mirror lake and the water is easy to get to. This one I actually walked into a little on both sides, but be wary they have slippery clay bottoms. By the time I reached the 6th lake, Pasture Lake, it was stiflingly hot and the sun had eaten through my sunscreen which I had applied quite liberally, but nonetheless I was starting to get a serious sunburn. Pasture Lake was the last stop on my tour. Lost lake will have to wait for my next trip. Pasture lake is a small and shallow lake surround by sand and wild grasses, hence the name. Lea Lake, the last Lake in the park is the largest of all the lakes. This is the big one with boating, swimming, a larger camping/RV area, where you can rent paddleboards and pedal boats. I went up to the hilltop and got some great views of the lake there. The trip was great if it wasn't for the massive sunburn I would have stayed a bit longer, but I had a long drive to Odessa and I had to get out of the sun. This is a really unique area of New Mexico, and you can spend a few hours or a few days there. It is worth the effort to get there. read more

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News flash, New Mexico: it's 2019. Time to upgrade to a card reader rather than just the cash and check scheme. Even my home state of Montana has an option to use a card at places like this. Went to Lake Lea. Since this is the only decently-sized body of water for miles, it will naturally attract a lot of visitors. I would hate being here on weekends. Today wasn't too bad, but I don't have a lot of kind things to say about the clientele. Lots of unsupervised kids with parents who could give a damn less. To the parents of the kid who literally took my cold drink sitting on the beach and spiked it into the ground: thanks a lot, asshats. You owe me two Gatorades. The lake has a rocky bottom in spots so footing can be a challenge. Also some trash in lake left by aforementioned kids and their dumbass parents. For the value, I guess it's okay. $5 for a Jeep-load gets you all-day swimming. However, being that I grew up spoiled with beautiful, clean lakes, this one doesn't come close. I'll throw another star on for friendly park staff. read more

Bottomless Lakes State Park - A prime example of poor supervision and no parental skills... - Parks Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

We only really visited the swimming lake (Lea Lake?), in late September, and we had a great time. Nice clear water, perfect swimming area, beautiful scenery, and the covered seating area was great. Nice outdoor showers to rinse the sand off. And only $5 for day-use. read more

Really enjoyed this place today! Stopped for the short (just shy of a mile) hike on the Bluff Trail. Didn't see much wildlife but it was mid-day & hot. There's not much shade along the trail but there are a few covered benches to stop/sit. I ended up at Lea Lake and was able to cool my feet in the water & have a snack before the hike back. The office staff were friendly & they sell bottled water for $1. read more

What a great little state park! My son and I stopped here on our way to the Grand Canyon and we both loved this as much as the Grand Canyon. This place is really neat: small, the people are friendly, cheap to camp out at plus they have covered shelters that also come with water, fire ring and a grill. It has a couple of good trails, a beach, a pavillion, showers and clean bathrooms. Their visitor center is very informative and interactive. It displays how the sinkholes were formed. VERY COOL. Definitely worth the 8 hour trip! read more

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This is soooo beautiful!!! If you're taking a drive to Ruidoso NM or Roswell stop by. It's worth a look. They do charge but honestly we weren't there long enough for anyone to ask us for anything. We did see some fishing and camping but no way for me as snow was in the forecast! read more

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Great visit at great site! Both camp host more than accommodating. Sites are spread out and lots of space. Great price, great wifi, great Lake, great paths for walking and great bike riding. Would highly recommend! read more

Pretty cool place. Definite must if you're in the area. We got out there early and started to wrap it up around noon, which was about when alot of other people started showing up. Dog friendly. There are alot of flies hanging around so don't be surprised and keep that in mind when choosing what to bring to eat/snack on. The big lake is pretty cool to swim in. Also fun checking out the other smaller sink holes around the park. read more

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I am all about nature and state parks. I just don't understand the hype behind this location. Honestly i wish I wouldn't have wasted the time coming here. I brought my DSLR expecting to take some awesome pictures based on the high ratings of other helpers but was sorely disappointed. Maybe its different with a party full of people or if i had a camper and wanted a place to stay, but this is not for someone just passing through. They have a scenic lookout at the top of the road that continues on, but i felt so lost in this location. Part of me wanted to adventure on, but it didnt seem worth it after the slight disappointment i experienced. Coming from El Paso, i was so excited to see the water here. I might try this location if i pass through, maybe then my experience will be better. :| read more

Great spot - easy to pull into and hosts are super friendly. Great views and plug ins too!

Stayed overnight in Lena Lake campground. Very quiet and relaxing until 5:00 a.m. garbage truck. Really, this isn't retail complex in Houston. 6:00 a.m. neighboring camper's vehicle horn when locking and large dog barking for at least five minutes. Not campground fault, but compounded garbage truck wake-up call. Restrooms and showers acceptably clean. Available wi-fi is a plus for state park, but very slow; like most other public wi-fi anywhere. Good phone reception allowed use as hotspot. Place needs some upkeep and cleanup in general. Pile of construction debris and supplies immediately adjacent to campground detracts from scenery and overall experience. Good value. Looks like some nice areas to hike, though didn't stay but one night. Convenient to Roswell. Good paved main road in and out. Campground gravel. read more

Beautiful place to go with family or friends. Very clean and very open. The water is super fresh and clean. There is space between each picnic area so you won't be crowded. Definitely coming back. read more

Loved this place! A unique experience, absolutely breathtaking. The water was freezing, the sun warm and the view was picturesque. Already planning for my next trip out here. Only weird thing was that I felt like I was being stared at the whole time I was here. There was a bunch of people read more

This park is beautiful! The lakes are beautiful and the swimming area is well maintained. I lowered it one star based on the lack of maintaining. The campground bathroom are gross and not cleaned well, the swimming area bathrooms are locked until April, and some of the lakes had trash in them from previous explorers. We went toward the end of March and the water was chilly but nice! read more

Bottomless Lakes State Park - Color of the water of these lakes is an amazing shade of blue! - Parks Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

Lea Lake camp area was good. Small area for tents. So get there early to grab a spot. There's lots of tent sites away from Lea Lake, but that area doesn't have showers. So aim for Lea Lake first with you want near the showers. Bathrooms were reasonable. Not super clean, but ok. Showers are the type that require you to continually push the bottom for water. A bit annoying but works. Water temperature is preset. A bit colder than I like, but warm. read more

Great place to Mountain Bike too (Skidmarks Trail). It's not easy. You'll definitely need your knee, shoulder pads & helmet. Your going to need them. read more

I nice, scenic spot, away from the business of Roswell. We drove around the big loop road and stopped at each of the lakes. Great October evening with the sun dropping behind us permitted nice photos of the smaller, reflective lakes (ponds really). The flies were horrid however and we had a difficult time getting them all out of the car. read more

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Stayed over night, in a tent. The spots were nice they had water, Electricity, Covered patio with a picnic table and a bbq pit. The restrooms were pretty clean and the are around the lake also looked clean. We liked the cash system thought it was nice and honorable. We paid online which we liked the option to secure a spot since we drove far. Worth the Drive out there to camp. read more

I was visiting Roswell just for one night and was so happy to find this gem. The lakes are absolutely beautiful. I have never seen anything like it. I didn't spend the night there but did spend some time hiking and taking pictures. The other visitors were very friendly and helpful. I did see a lot of litter it is too bad people are so disrespectful to such a beautiful place. read more

Camping in Roswell Bottomless lake State Park Campground is great! The camp host Eddie was very friendly and helpful. Nice sites with elec/water for only $14.00 per night. Bathrooms are clean, showers are decent and the lake is beautiful. Water is crystal clear in this spring fed lake. There is a sandy beach and the water is cool but not cold. There is no fishing but swimming, beautiful scenery ,picnic areas and trails. read more

Camped in early October. We brought bug spray to avoid mosquito bites, which I think was a good idea. There were crazy raccoons (at least 3) fighting/loving/trashcan-plundering all through the night. At one point, we awoke to what sounded like a herd of cows moving through the park. Still not sure what that was about! Lea Lake was a little cold but totally swimmable for 11AM. The park was mostly empty. We were there for maybe 12 hours so I'm sure there were some wonders that we didn't get around to seeing. read more

Stop in! Beautiful and worth seeing each little lake. Not much else to do in Roswell, this adds value to the area!

Bottomless Lakes is a unique and interesting natural phenomenon. We camped there for a night, in the parking area above Mirror Lake. We enjoyed the lakes and nature trails. What we most didn't like about this state park is that it seemed that the management does little to protect the lakes from disrespectful people. There seems little effort made to keep people from trampling all over the lakes area, sliding down hills, disturbing vegetation and wildlife, etc. Many visitors even seem to get a kick out of throwing bottles and other trash into the lakes. Also, the showers suck -- barely warm water, "water-saver" shower heads that sting your face and spray water directly at the changing area, and "push-button" timers that last maybe 12 seconds (what a hassle!). Maybe they don't have the funding(?), but some improved management could really help this place. read more

The lakes and trails are great, highly recommend...the staff however are not. Rude, short and grumpy, we encountered 6 people working out there and one was at least cordial. Also the water in the women's shower comes out scalding hot, beware. Lea lake is beautiful and great swimming although far less crowded on weekdays naturally... read more

Favorite state park in New Mexico. It has beautiful blue "bottomless" lakes (although they actually have bottoms from 89 feet to maybe 300feet). Also, the big lake has a sandy beach to swim in. It is clear water and very refreshing. There are also paddle boats, fishing, and hiking at the state park. read more

Amazing place for families to swim only... I wouldn't bother taking any food to eat too many flies that invade you. read more

Bottomless Lakes State Park - Beautiful scenery - Parks Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

This is a great place to swim with a lifeguard on duty. You can rent paddle boats, paddle boards and life jackets. We had our own kayaks and finally got to use them on our road trip vacation. Lea lake is a great place to kayak with calm waters and no boat or jet ski traffic to worry about. The water is nice and cool thanks to being spring fed. Would give this place 5 stars if not for the billion flies that surround the place. read more

This is a great place to catch one of those famous New Mexico sunsets. What a view! The stars look great from there as well! I wouldn't recommend swimming there the water looks well...bottomless. The camp ground is very desert like. Not many trees but it serves the purpose. It is a little bit of a drive but well worth it for an AWESOME sunset. read more

Okay, so...... The park gets five stars because you can not expect two rangers and a very helpful steward to ward off eight raccoons and five hundred determined insects.. The surroundings are wonderful, and a great example of geological formations. After a 400 mile drive through the desert, there was no better welcome than the sight of the lakes. Please remember your basic camping skills. Put away your food, light your citronella candles, and bring plenty of bug repellent. We got mosquitos, fire ants, and flies a plenty. And if you don't put everything away, you just might be that six foot three naked man screaming through the campgrounds at three am throwing glow-sticks at the brave Raccoon army....... Just sayin. read more