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Bottomless Lakes State Park

Eight sinkhole lakes, 17 to 90 feet deep, 15 miles southeast of Roswell. There is a sand beach on one of them, scuba diving in the park, 4.53 miles of trails, and a campground. It is the most surprising thing in this part of New Mexico and most visitors never hear about it.

A wide view of the shaded back garden and lawn behind the house.
By Lana, host of Lana’s Desert HavenLast updated
Distance from Roswell
15 miles southeast, about a 20-minute drive
The lakes
Eight sinkholes, 17 to 90 feet deep
Day-use fee
$10.00 per vehicle for non-residents
Walk-in and bicycle entry
No charge
Swimming
At Lea Lake, which has a sand beach
Trails
4.53 miles across three routes
Camping
32 hook-up sites at Lea Lake, 10 developed sites in the Lower Lakes
Dogs
Allowed, on a leash at all times

Checked 16 August 2026. Hours, prices and dates change — confirm with the park's own page, the state parks fee schedule and the pet rules before you go.

Why is it called Bottomless Lakes State Park?

The name overstates them, and the park says so itself. New Mexico State Parks describes the site as a chain of eight lakes that are “actually sinkholes ranging from 17 to 90 feet deep”. They have a bottom. Their depth, and the way the water darkens with it, is what made them look like they did not.

You will find a colorful cowboys-and-weighted-ropes origin story for the name on travel sites. The park does not publish it, so we are not going to repeat it here as fact.

Can you swim at Bottomless Lakes?

Yes. The park’s swimming beach is at Lea Lake, and the day-use area there has a genuine sand beach, a playground, a sand volleyball court, 24 picnic shelters and the historic Lea Lake Pavilion. Restrooms and outdoor shower towers are there too, though both close seasonally.

Scuba diving is permitted in the park, which is a genuinely odd thing to be able to say about southeastern New Mexico and tells you something about how deep these things go. Non-motorized boating is allowed — canoe, kayak and paddleboard — and pedal boat, paddleboard and lifejacket rentals run from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend.

This is also the answer to a question people ask a lot: the closest beach to Roswell, New Mexico is Lea Lake, twenty minutes away.

Can you fish at Bottomless Lakes?

Yes, but not everywhere, and getting this wrong is the most common mistake visitors make. Fishing is not permitted at Lea Lake or the Lea Lake Day Use Area. It is allowed at Devil's Ink Well and Pasture Lake, which are stocked between March and November. New Mexico Game and Fish rules apply.

In short: swimming happens at Lea Lake, fishing happens at Devil’s Ink Well and Pasture Lake. Turn up at Lea Lake with a rod and you will be packing it away again.

Are dogs allowed at Bottomless Lakes?

Yes. New Mexico State Parks allows pets at most of its parks and requires them to be on a leash at all times, and asks you to pick up after them. Bottomless Lakes is not one of the two parks in the system restricted to service dogs only.

That makes this the best dog day out within reach of Roswell — trails, water, shade under the picnic shelters, and twenty minutes back to a house with a fenced garden at the end of it.

The trails

4.53 miles in total, across three named routes:

  • Skidmarks mountain bike trail — 3.13 miles
  • The Bluff Trail — 0.86 miles
  • The Wetlands Trail — 0.54 miles

There is also an interpretive accessible trail, a visitor center with exhibits and park information, and wildlife viewing blinds. Birding is one of the listed activities, and in this valley it is a serious one — see the day-trips page for Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is the other half of that story.

Camping

Lea Lake campground: 32 campsites with hook-ups — 6 full hook-up, 26 with water and electric. There is an RV dump station, a group shelter, and restrooms with showers.

Lower Lakes area: 10 developed campsites with vault toilets.

Camping is charged separately from day-use and is reservable through Reserve America, with resident and non-resident rates and per-day utility fees for sites with hookups. Rather than reprint a rate table that changes, check the current one on the state parks fee page linked above. If you are traveling in an RV but fancy a week in a house instead, we have gated parking for the rig.

Fees, plainly

Day-use entry is $10.00 per vehicle for non-residents. New Mexico residents pay a separate resident rate and are exempt from day-use fees from October 1 through April 30. Walk-in and bicycle entry is free. National and federal discount passes — America the Beautiful, the Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass, Golden Age and Golden Access — are not accepted at New Mexico State Parks, which catches out a lot of people mid-road-trip.

One thing we could not confirm: the park’s daily operating hours are not published on its own page, so no opening or closing time appears here. If you are planning an early start or a late swim, call the park or check before you leave.

Making a day of it

From Roswell it is a twenty-minute drive southeast on a road that goes flat and empty very quickly, and then the ground opens up: the park runs along the base of a line of bluffs, which is what the 0.86-mile Bluff Trail is named after. Arriving is half of why it is worth the trip.

In summer, go early or go late: July here averages a high of 94°F and the middle of the day is for picnic shelters, not trails. In spring and autumn it is close to perfect — the month-by-month numbers make the case. Bring water and sun cover regardless; there is very little natural shade.

Pack lunch rather than planning to buy it there, and you have a whole day for the cost of a day-use fee.

Bottomless Lakes questions

Why is it called Bottomless Lakes State Park?

The name overstates them, and the park says so itself: New Mexico State Parks describes the site as a chain of eight lakes that are "actually sinkholes ranging from 17 to 90 feet deep". They have a bottom. Their depth and the way the water darkens with it is what made them look like they did not. You will find a colorful cowboys-and-weighted-ropes origin story on travel sites; the park does not publish it, so we are not going to repeat it as fact.

Can you swim at Bottomless Lakes State Park?

Yes. The park's swimming beach is at Lea Lake, which has a sand beach, a playground, a sand volleyball court, 24 picnic shelters and seasonal restrooms and outdoor shower towers. Scuba diving is permitted in the park too, which is a genuinely odd thing to be able to say about southeastern New Mexico.

Can you fish at Bottomless Lakes State Park?

Fishing is not permitted at Lea Lake or the Lea Lake Day Use Area. It is allowed at Devil's Ink Well and Pasture Lake, which are stocked between March and November. New Mexico Game and Fish rules apply.

Are dogs allowed at Bottomless Lakes State Park?

Yes. New Mexico State Parks allows pets at most of its parks, and they must be on a leash at all times. You are also asked to pick up after them. Bottomless Lakes is not one of the two parks that restrict access to service dogs only.

How deep is Bottomless Lakes State Park?

They are eight separate sinkholes rather than one body of water, and they range from about 17 to 90 feet deep. Lea Lake is the one with the swimming beach.

What is the closest beach to Roswell, New Mexico?

Lea Lake at Bottomless Lakes State Park, 15 miles southeast — about a 20-minute drive. It is a genuine sand beach with a roped swimming area, which is not something most people expect to find in southeastern New Mexico.

How much does it cost to get into Bottomless Lakes State Park?

Day-use entry is $10.00 per vehicle for non-residents under the New Mexico State Parks fee schedule. New Mexico residents pay a separate resident rate and are exempt from day-use fees from October 1 through April 30. Walk-in and bicycle entry is free. Camping is charged separately and booked through Reserve America.