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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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
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
10 months ago
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
3 months ago
4 months ago
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
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
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
3 years ago
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
7 years ago
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
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
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
3 years ago
9 years ago
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
7 years ago
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10 years ago
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
9 years ago
7 years ago
10 years ago
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
7 years ago
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11 years ago
Amazing place for families to swim only... I wouldn't bother taking any food to eat too many flies that invade you. read more
8 years ago
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More info about Bottomless Lakes State Park
545 Bottomless Lakes Rd
Roswell, NM 88203
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(575) 624-6058
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9 years ago
