Bottomless Lakes State Park

The Bottomless Lakes are sinkholes, called cenotes in some parts of the world, formed in gypsum and salt bedrock laid down when an ancient sea covered this region. Over long stretches of time, groundwater dissolved cavities in that soluble rock until the roofs collapsed, leaving deep, steep-walled pits that filled with spring-fed water from the aquifer below.

The water gets its striking blue-green color from the minerals dissolved in it and from the depth and clarity of the pools. The name came from early cowboys who lowered weighted ropes and could not find the bottom, giving rise to the legend that the lakes had no floor at all. In truth the deepest reaches only tens of feet, but the name and the mystery have stuck.

A string of separate lakes runs along the base of the bluffs, each with its own character and name. The largest, Lea Lake, is the center of the park's activity, with a beach, a swimming area, and warm-weather crowds cooling off in its clear water. Several of the smaller lakes are set aside for viewing and quiet reflection rather than swimming.

The clear, deep water also draws scuba divers, who explore the underwater walls and the strange world of a desert sinkhole. Because the lakes are fed by cold springs and reach real depths, even in summer the water is bracing, and divers and swimmers alike should respect the cold and the depth. Boating on the smaller lakes is limited, keeping them calm and clear.

Behind the lakes rise the Seven Rivers Hills, a line of rust-red gypsum-and-shale bluffs that glow at sunrise and sunset and frame the blue-green pools below. Trails lead along and above the lakes, giving views down into the sinkholes and out across the Pecos plain, and interpretive signs explain the unusual geology and the wildlife that gathers at the water.

The park keeps campgrounds and picnic areas near the lakes, so travelers can spend a night beneath the bluffs and the wide desert sky. A nearby stretch of wetland along the Pecos draws birds and other wildlife, tying the park to the larger network of desert oases, including Bitter Lake refuge, that make the Roswell area a surprising haven for water and life.

Summer is the season for Bottomless Lakes, when the warm air makes swimming in the cool water a joy and the campgrounds fill up. Spring and fall are pleasant for hiking, camping, and photography, with mild days and fewer crowds, while winter is cold and quiet, the lakes still and glassy beneath the frosted bluffs.

Whenever you come, the park rewards an unhurried visit, time to swim, walk the bluff trails, and watch the light change on the water and rock. It is an easy and memorable side trip from Roswell, and paired with nearby Bitter Lake refuge, it makes the Pecos plain around Roswell a genuinely surprising corner of New Mexico.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.