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.

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.

Roswell is an unlovely place, offering few amenities, but the park really tries. Big shade trees…read moreare essential for Enchanting Results June-September. The grass was still green in Mid May. Fantastic frisbee golf course and a small play area for kids

Nice place, there's a really nice playground for the kids everything clean. Definitely worth…read morevisiting

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!

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.

Beautiful out in the Desert with Lake Brantley near…read moreoverlooks the lake, beautiful sunset, long drive on tho but if you go, visit the Desert Gardens nearby as well as Carlsbad Caverns!!!

It's very clean and even has a playground for the kids. However for me, it felt too isolated. It's…read moreapprox. 20 min. from town. There are no RV parking spots close to the water. You have to drive down if you plan on fishing or you can hike but it's hot and dry.

the park got damaged in the Roswell Flood a couple years ago. the walking trail that goes through…read morecahoon park and MIA -POW park got damaged along with some fencing. hopefully they can get some repairs done soon. along with the parking lot.

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.]

Green Meadow Park is located on the northwest side of Hobbs, NM…read more It features a large human-made pond with a walking path upon its perimeter. I brought my daughters here for their first time on 8/27/2022. It was my first time visiting the City-maintained park in over ten years. While it has some new-to-me features, I think that in the coming years there could be some major improvements. There was ample parking. On a sidenote, when we were there, two large dogs were not on leashes playing fetch with their owners. My dog is no longer around, so I often walk my brother's pitbull and want to start walking my other brother's German Shepherd... good dog owners know where I'm going with this. Just be careful when going to any park with your dog in this town. The "let's all win, toss it in the bin" campaign certainly seems to help keep waste off the ground. Here, it's printed on large signs with trash cans spread throughout the park. Much appreciated! Now if we could just get all of the morons to stop throwing trash out their car windows... TIP + The Hobbs Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM at Green Meadows Park.

This us a very nice clean park to take your family. New playground equipment , large pond with…read moreducks and geese. You can also fish there. Clean restrooms which is a plus!

We were visiting for the week and discovered this park. Far enough off the main road and completely…read morefenced in, clean and well maintained. It had two separate areas for the older kiddos and the littles. A bathroom nearby was handy. The elk roaming nearby was an added bonus. The munchkins all had a blast while their parents shopped in town. Just don't end up trying to enter from the wrong direction if it's time for the neighboring school to let out.

Great park for kids of all ages. Hidden gem. Elk grazing the area too. Easy to accessread more