Elephant Butte Lake State Park - New Mexico

November 18, 5:11 PMSouthwest Destinations Travel ExaminerBetsy Model

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Elephant Butte Lake State Park

Photo courtesy of New Mexico State Parks

Containing the largest lake in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park offers visitors a wide variety of  water and land-based activities that can entice both the hard-core athlete and the lazy family camper.

The man-made lake - a dam, actually, constructed across the Rio Grande River in 1916 - offers more than 200 miles of shoreline for casual exploration while the lake itself offers opportunities for fishing, boating, water-skiing, canoing and even scuba diving.  There are a variety of docks for launching boats of every size and full-service marinas to service houseboats.  Kayakers and canoeists can launch directly from either the beach or a number of small coves.

Amateur and experienced fossil hunters will want to pay particular attention to the rock formations that surround the lake and form the rocky coves; over 100 million years ago, the area that now encompasses this state park was part of a shallow ocean and, in later years, occupied by large, prehistoric creatures.  Fossils of both the tyrannosaurus rex and the stegomastodon - an early relative of today's elephant - have been found near the lake.

The park's natural beauty combined with all of the lake's activities make this a wildly popular destination - especially in summer months - so those wishing for overnight camping facilities may want to make reservations.  There are more than 250 developed campsites - some with grills - and 150 electrical hook-ups for RVers and those hauling trailers.

There is a day use fee of $5 per car and overnight camping fees range from $8 for a primative site to $10 and up for developed sites with electrical.  Annual day passes and annual camping passes are also available. 

Elephant Butte Lake State Park is located in Elephant Butte, New Mexico, approximately 5 miles north of Truth or Consequences.  For reservations or more information, see New Mexico Parks or call (877) NM4-RSVP.