Home > Travel > State Parks > New Mexico > Bottomless Lakes State Park

Actually several small lakes bordered by high red bluffs, Bottomless Lakes State Park offers a variety of activities including hiking, swimming, fishing and scuba diving.

Gate Hours
24 hours

Park Manager
Steve Patterson
(505) 624-6058
FAX: (505) 624-6029
steve.patterson@state.nm.us
Address
HC 12, Box 1200
Roswell, NM 88201

Land
1,400

AcresThe lakes are water filled sinkholes in the local gypsum terrain. Odd geology and water chemistry create homes for unusual plants and animals, like the Pecos Sunflower.

Are the Lakes Really Bottomless? 
The lakes' greenish-blue color creates the illusion that the lakes are bottomless.  Cowboys added to the lake's mystique when they failed to find the bottom of the lakes by tying their saddle ropes together.  In fact, they range in depth from 17 ft. to 90 ft. 

First of Its Kind
In 1933 the Bottomless Lakes area was set aside as New Mexico's first state park.

Lake Highlights
Lea Lake is the deepest lake at 90 feet and is the only lake where swimming is allowed. During summer, visitors can rent paddle-boards and paddle-boats for a small fee. Devil's Inkwell is 32 ft. deep and is named for its steep sides and dark water, the result of algae growth. This lake is stocked with rainbow trout in winter.

Getting There
From Roswell, head east on US 380 for 12 miles and then south on NM 409 for three miles.