Bottomless Lakes New Mexico

Spending the next few nights at the New Mexico State Park " Bottomless Lakes"  Dedicated in 1933,Bottomless Lakes was New Mexico's first designated State Park. It is a twelve mile drive east of Roswell on U. S. Highway 380, then seven miles south on New Mexico Highway 409.  Easy to find thanks to signs posted on route. 


More than 100 years ago when the cowboys drove their cattle into the area they attempted to solve the mystery of these lakes. They tried without success to find the bottom by tying rocks to their lariats and dropping them in the lakes. As one length played out another was attached, but the bottom was never found. The lariats were swept aside by underwater currents. However, the cowboys didn't know this and so named them "bottomless."


None is more than ninety feet deep, but the illusion of great depth and the greenish blue color is created by algae and other aquatic plants covering the lake bottoms. In truth they are sink holes rather than lakes and range in depth from 17 to 90 feet. They were formed when circulating underground water dissolved salt and gypsum deposits to form subterranean caverns. In time the roofs of the caverns collapsed from their own weight to form  sink holes that filled with water. Of the eight only Lea Lake is large enough to support swimming and other water recreational activities.


We are camped at Lea Lake but have biked around looking at some of the others.