Things to do near Bottomless Lakes State Park in New Mexico
What’s there to do near Bottomless Lakes State Park in New Mexico? While we checked a bunch of travel guides none were better than our own friends at finding some outstanding things to do during the five days that we stayed in the park.
Check out our article and photos on Bottomless Lakes State Park
Roswell, New Mexico - day one
Roswell is such a tourist attraction we have an article about things to do in Roswell, New Mexico. Roswell is the closest real town to Bottomless Lakes State Park and so is the place to go for things to do.
We did have a few good meals in the town so there are solid choices, but you should visit the McDonald’s in town just for the UFO-related decor. And, you know, they have decent fries.
Though the trick to getting the best fries at McDonald’s is to ask for the order to be prepared without salt and then put your own salt on them. That way they’re fresh. I’ve had some lousy fries at McDonald’s because they sat in the heat lamp too long for my tastes. This solution solves that problem.
We got to spend time camping with wonderful friends at Bottomless Lakes State park.
Artesia (day two)
If you didn’t know this, New Mexico is an oil-producing state and the city of Artesia celebrates this. The town was named for the water wells that are such a reliable source of water and there is a strong agricultural base here.
Today, the city's economy is largely based on oil and gas exploration and production, with many oil and gas companies headquartered in Artesia.
We traveled through Artesia stopping at downtown sculpture garden, which is pretty impressive.
The other stop was for lunch which was at Touch Down Barbecue. We stopped here only because of the ratings on line and those who gave it five stars couldn’t have been more accurate.
I had a brisket plate which was served with two sides. I chose loaded mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. The lunch also came with a roll and they have cinnamon sugar for those rolls.
To say that the brisket was some of the best I’ve ever had, especially considering that I had just traveled to the southern part of the US, would be an understatement. The sides were equally good
Journey to Fort Stanton - day three
Ruidoso
We took the long way around on our way to Fort Stanton and traveled through Ruidoso, New Mexico. This is as much a walking town as was Pigeon Forge but less crowded and less populated with fancy chains. I like that.
We stopped at Rio Grande Grill & Tap Room where I was boring and didn’t have any of their locally-brewed beer. In fact, I just had a hamburger and fries. Shame on me.
But Peggy got the day’s special which was a seafood Mac and cheese and she loved it. Our server smartly suggested garlic bread so the sauce wouldn’t go to waste and that was a proper tip.
I saw a bunch of classic trucks and a Big Boy Bob outside a vintage service station so we had to stop at Rusty Balls Speed Shop. Clearly the owners have sense of humor just based on the very wide variety of shirts they sell. If you’re not a fan of somewhat edgy humor, this isn’t for you.
So that means that the Rusty Balls Speed Shop was right up my alley and I may go back for their car show. I was finally pulled out of the shop after talking cars with the owner until well past time for our next stop, which was Fort Stanton.
Fort Stanton
Fort Stanton is a historic fort located in the southeast region of New Mexico, USA. The fort was established in 1855 by the U.S. Army to protect settlers from Native American raids and served as a military post until 1896. It was named after Captain Henry W. Stanton, who was killed in the Battle of Valverde during the Civil War.
During its early years, Fort Stanton was home to several units of the United States Army, including the famous Buffalo Soldiers. It also played an important role in the Lincoln County War, which was a conflict between rival factions in the county during the late 1870s.
In addition to its military history, Fort Stanton was also used as a tuberculosis sanatorium from 1899 to 1953. It was one of the largest and most well-known sanatoriums in the country at the time, and thousands of patients were treated there.
After the closure of the sanatorium, the fort was transferred to the State of New Mexico and eventually became a historic site.
Today, Fort Stanton is managed by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is open to the public for tours and events. The site includes a museum, several restored buildings, and hiking trails that offer visitors a glimpse into the history and natural beauty of the region.
Lincoln, New Mexico
Lincoln is a town made famous by one of the most violent periods in New Mexico history. Today’s visitors can see the Old Lincoln County Courthouse with museum exhibits that recount the details of the Lincoln County War and the historic use of the “House” as store, residence, Masonic Lodge, courthouse, and jail.
Some of of the more famous former residents of the town include Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and other famous and infamous characters of the Wild West.
The 1878 Courthouse and the Tunstall Store, with their preserved 19th-century atmosphere, are particular attractions making this one of the more popular historic places in New Mexico.
Remarkably, the Tunstall Store contains displays of the original 19th-century merchandise in the original shelving and cases!
While the history was cool and all, we stopped for an afternoon beer at Bonito Valley Brewing Company which had an incredible smoky Saison beer that I could have enjoyed many, many pints of.
Unfortunately I didn’t bring a growler which should be a lesson to me. Always carry an empty growler in the event that a magical brew just has to come back to camp with you.
Carlsbad - day four
Perhaps the most famous thing to do in Carlsbad is visit the Carlsbad Caverns and we intend to do this in the near future.
What we did do is visit the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens which celebrates the living desert and the creatures and plants that inhabit it. For a mere $5 you can tour this facility which has animals and plants that are native to the area.
Among the animals are a bald eagle, bear, bison, elk and a whole field of prairie dogs. There is also a snake building which I happened to miss (I do not like snakes).
They also have ponds with turtles as well as enclosures with Bolson tortoises which weren’t known until 1968 and are the largest native tortoises in New Mexico.
Also on hand were mountain lions, bobcats and havolina.
Many of the creatures here are either being rehabilitated or are here because they were rescued and may have physical injuries that prevent them from being re-released into the wild.
Whatever the case, this place is pretty cool and absolutely worth the $5.
I didn’t know that downtown Carlsbad has a river district that offers floating, boating and more and this would be a fun place to return to in the summer, which would be when we’d be likely to also head underground to the Carlsbad Caverns.
We also really enjoyed Kaleidoscoops Ice Cream in Carlsbad. This quaint little shop also has a lunch menu but we just had scoops of really good ice cream. Because, you know, ice cream.
Conclusions
We fully intend to go back to Bottomless Lakes State Park for a number of reasons.
However know that when I first started looking at things to do near the park the only thing that really came up was Roswell. Towns like Ruidoso, Lincoln and Carlsbad are at least 60 miles away, if not more, but are absolutely worth the drive.
We’re grateful for Mickey and Michael for being outstanding tour guides and showing us these slightly distant but definitely worthwhile journeys over the few days we were at the park.
We hope this story helps you find great things to do in New Mexico.
