You don't accidentally end up at Bottomless Lakes State Park you make the choice to drift a little…read moreoff 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.

Just outside of Roswell is a wonderful camping park surrounded by Pecos Diamonds, short trails, and…read moreswimming 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.

Fantastic place to watch the 4th of July fireworks display in Roswell, NM. There is a little bit…read moreof traffic driving in and out of the park before and after, but it isn't too bad. There is a giant field you can bring blankets and lawn chairs to watch the field on, OR you can stay in the gravel parkinglot and watch from there. The view in the open sky from the park is spectacular. I stayed in the gravel parkinglot because I was also lighting fireworks which is another plus to being there. A ton of people who attend bring their own fireworks and they are lighting them off before and after the show. The fireworks display at Cielo Grande park is also known to be Roswell's biggest fireworks display. Definitely come here to watch fireworks if you are in town for the 4th of July!

Medium-sized park that is fabulous for activities that include a basketball court, picnic shelters…read morewith tables, and a playground. The playground has climbing frames and slides, painted in bright primary colors and is somewhat shaded. The park has a soft mulch base. It is surrounded by benches for the adults and a few picnic tables. The park is in excellent condition with no litter and emptied trash bins. [Review 17446 overall - 59 in New Mexico - 964 of 2022.]

Good little park for a stop along a road trip. Was clean and had two playgrounds my kids 5-9…read moreenjoyed.

We used this dog park during our stay in Roswell and it was fine. Unfortunately for us, there were…read morenever any other people there with small dogs when we came so our visits were fairly short. We did have a conversation with a nice gentleman who had a small dog off leash with him who said his dog was not friendly. He didn't want to come inside because he was worried about the dogs behavior but not so worried that he needed to be on a leash I guess. Our dogs said hello through the fence and seemed fine with one another. We noticed many people with their dogs off leash here in the parking lot, so I guess residents here are comfortable with that. We also noticed many people walking dogs around the sports complex but very few using the fenced off-leash areas. There is plenty of parking and there are fenced separated areas for small and large dogs but I think locals use the entire sports complex here as a play area which seems to work for them. Shade was limited and so was seating but if you need to let your dog out for a bit this is a good place to try.

Convenient park closer to our hotel stay in Roswell. It was a couple acres, with lots of space for…read morethe dogs to play. People just need to clean up after their pets.

Paying tribute to those who are Missing In Action and Prisoners Of War of all sides of conflicts…read more(thousands of German POWs were interred here in Roswell), this 1.2 acre park is adjacent to the Spring River that passes through town. Features here include a handful of benches, a basketball court, bike trail and water fountain. The parking lot is large enough to accomodate the number of people who would be here at the park and there is some shade over the parking spaces. Do not miss out on the Berlin Wall fragment or the Iron Cross in the riverbank, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/german-pow-iron-cross. [Review 17458 overall - 68 in New Mexico - 976 of 2022.]

What a shock! Gorgeous visitor center with incredible views, great gift shop, a few hiking trails,…read moreand a viewing loop to safely check out the migrating birds. This may be one of the best kept secrets in New Mexico. That said, there's also quite a hornet infestation outside the entrance to the building and the patio, so do be mindful of that. Hopefully the staff will see that it is addressed.

A nice ride to the bitter lake National wildlife refuge. Great place to unwind, take a bike ride,…read morewalk, see wildlife, go on a picnic. Lots of land and nature to view. Lots of ducks, birds ect. as well as a nice place to catch a sunset. Nice place to visit and is free to the public.

I've seen more birds in my backyard. It's not much but it has some dirt and also a nice cement…read moretrail to walk. There is a bird blind where there are feeders set up. Only a couple of species of birds and just very common ones to see though. If you are in the neighborhood it might be good for walking but it's not worth the drive for anyone else

A bright spot for birding just west of downtown. Lots of ducks in the ponds and lots of red winged…read moreblackbirds calling in the trees. We saw white crowned sparrows, a townsends solitaire and flocks of robins. A pleasant sunset walk after a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque.

Located in a public park (originally known as Iron Cross Park, now it's POW/MIA Park), this artwork…read morewas built by German prisoners of war who were interred here in Roswell during World War II. As part of a flood control program, the city paved the banks of the Spring River with local stones. It was during that project that a number of the prisoners cleverly arranged the rocks here in the outline shape of the German Empire's Iron Cross. You absolutely can't miss it and so when the townspeople noticed, the artwork was covered in concrete. In the 60+ years since then, the water has peeled away the concrete and the artwork is now uncovered. A testament to soldiers who were captured and I hope interred here in New Mexico humanely. There is parking in the park and a viewing platform across from the Iron Cross. [Review 17459 overall - 69 in New Mexico - 977 of 2022.]

The Roswell Public Garden in Roswell, NM, was not quite what I expected…read more There was free parking nearby. A closed road. Trash cans with no efficient lids to keep the wind from blowing it out. On April 16, 2026, the garden was overrun with weeds. Signage was torn, broken or missing. Overall just unkempt. It wouldn't take much to get it back on the right track... The butterflies sure did like it which is why I cannot do less than 4 stars. Enjoy nature now instead of letting it pass you by.