New Mexico State Parks

Sumner and Bottomless Lake State Parks
Sumner Lake State Park campground, where we had the place all to ourselves had some beautiful landscapes with rocks that reminded me of the shapes and textures of Georgia O'Keeffe paintings while she lived in the SW. After Sumner Lake, we headed further south to escape the many weather systems moving through the region. We have been lucky as they are passing either north or south of where we are staying each night.

In the south east corner of New Mexico near the town of Roswell sits an area that is fed by the watershed from the Capitan and Sacramento mountains. As the land gets lower than the surrounding terrain the water percolates up through the limestone base into sink holes (cenotes) and streams that feed into the Pecos River. Bottomless Lake State Park has a series of eight of these cenotes bordered by high red rock bluffs. The system sits just south of the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge which is a home and a winter stop-over for thousands of birds including ducks, shore birds and some 28000 Sand hill Cranes. Bitter Lake provides habitat for some of the rarest creatures in New Mexico from the Pecos Pupfish, snails, Mexican tetra, amphipods and 65 species of dragonflies. This water, while very alkaline is a life giving force in what is an extremely arid part of the northern portions of the Chihuahuan desert that stretches deep into the heart of Mexico.

Lea Lake where the campground is located is a beautiful facility including a swimming beach (salt water), full service campsites and hiking trails that wind through the cenotes, tamaracks and along the red bluffs. Best of all, it's just $14 per night. Blue has enjoyed some wonderful walks behind our rig in the soft short grasses that are home to many bunnies, quail and I hear, a skunk. We walk carefully not to disturb any smelly inhabitants, the last thing we need in an RV is a smelly cat, even if it's not his fault!