Located where the Chihuahuan Desert meets the Southern Plains, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is one of the more biologically significant wetland areas of the Pecos River watershed system. Established in 1937 to provide wintering habitat for migratory birds, the refuge plays a crucial role in the conservation of wetlands in the desert Southwest.
Rolling hills studded with pinon and juniper trees encircle the lake, which is stocked with trout and catfish. Bluewater Lake State Park is popular for boating and year-round fishing.
Bosque del Apache is Spanish for woods of the Apache, and is rooted in the time when the Spanish observed Apaches routinely camped in the riverside forest. Since then the name has come to mean one of the most spectacular national wildlife refuges in North America.
Actually seven small park lakes bordered by high red bluffs, Bottomless Lakes State Park offers a variety of sports including hiking, swimming, fishing, and scuba diving.
Brantley Lake State Park, a southern desert park, is a refreshing place to fish and enjoy other water sports. The visitor center includes historical exhibits about the Wild West Town of Seven Rivers.
The Caballo Mountains serve as a majestic backdrop for Caballo Lake State Park, which boasts a full array of water sports, winter waterfowl watching, and cactus gardens in bloom.
Set in New Mexico's high country, where spectacular palisade cliffs and clear running waters dominate the landscape, Cimarron Canyon State Park is part of the 33,116-acre Colin Neblett Wildlife Area -- the largest wildlife area in the state.
Formed of volcanic ash 30 million years ago and sculpted by wind and water into rows of monolithic blocks, City of Rocks State Park takes its name from these incredible rock formations. Cactus gardens and hiking trails add to this unique destination.
Set among rolling grasslands, Clayton Lake State Park offers excellent trout, catfish and bass fishing. Walk a half-mile to the lake's spillway and see the internationally significant dinosaur trackway, containing more than 500 footprints dating back more than 100 million years.
Conchas Lake State Park offers a wide variety of water sport activities including boating, fishing and water-skiing at this refreshing, 25-mile long reservoir.
Coyote Creek State Park is nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains along a meandering stream. Enclosed by a forest of spruce and pine, the small valley displays abundant wildflowers and beautiful fall foliage. The park is ideal for fishing, family camping and leisurely nature walks.
The Dexter National Fish Hatchery & Technology Center is dedicated to advancing fish culture techniques for imperiled fishes of the American Southwest.
El Camino Real International Heritage Center (ECRIHC) is one of New Mexico\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s newest State Monuments, dedicated in November 2005. The Center contains award winning exhibits, interpretive learning center, and artifacts presenting the history and heritage of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro - the Royal Road to the Interior.
Situated on a high plateau where the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains and the Chihuahuan desert come together, Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for a diversity of plant and animal life.
Located in northeastern New Mexico at an elevation of 6050’, the Refuge encompasses 3,700 acres of short-grass prairie, playa lakes, woodlots, wetlands, and agricultural lands. Situated in an open basin, Maxwell is surrounded by high mesas to the east and northeast and to the west by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Located in the Chihuahuan desert 20 miles north of Socorro, New Mexico, the land that is now Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge has a fascinating and long history.
Sevilleta NWR is managed primarily as a research area, and is closed to most recreational uses.
The Shooting Range Park provides a safe convenient location for citizens to enjoy shooting sports and learn the skills of using firearms for personal protection and hunting.
The Park features exhibits about Smokey Bear, the history of the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention program, fire suppression, forest health, and the vegetative life zones in New Mexico.
Nestled between high red sandstone bluffs along the Pecos River, near the picturesque Spanish-colonial village of Villanueva, lies Villanueva State Park.
Parks Sites