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New Mexico
Bottomless Lakes State Park
- Established
- 1933
- Acreage
- 1,611 · 1,611 acres encompassing eight of nine sinkhole lakes; CCC built infrastructure 1935-1938; opened to public 1937
- Location
- Chaves County, NM ~12 mi southeast of Roswell (Pecos River Valley)
- Key features
- Nine deep sinkhole 'cenote' lakes (some up to 90 ft deep) along red sandstone escarpment; Lea Lake (popular swimming lake); CCC-era visitor facilities; Pecos diamondback rattlesnakes and other Chihuahuan Desert wildlife
- Activities
- Swimming, scuba diving, fishing, paddleboarding, hiking, picnicking, camping, wildlife and bird watching
- Notable
- New Mexico's first state park; cowboys named the lakes 'bottomless' after their lariats failed to reach bottom — actual depths range up to 90 ft
Visits
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Source: www.emnrd.nm.gov · 2026-05-09