Caballo
Lake State Park: In the shadow of the rugged Caballo
Mountains, this long lake surrounded by Chihuahuan Desert
provides ample opportunities for fishing and water sports.
Relatively quiet and family-oriented, the park also has several
hiking trails and good bird watching possibilities.
Another in a series of lake parks created by damming the Rio
Grande, Caballo Lake has a surface area of more than 11,500
acres, making it New Mexico's third largest state park.
Created in the late 1930's with the construction of an earth
filled dam 96 feet high by 4.558 feet long, the lake's main
purpose is to catch and store water released by Elephant Butte
Dam (25 miles upstream) during electric generation.
The water is released in the summer for irrigation.
When full, the lake is 18 miles long.
The main activity here is fishing, primarily for White Bass and
Walleye, although anglers also catch Black Bass, Crappie,
Catfish, Northern Pike and Sunfish. Outside the main
section of the park but close by, are several fishing supply
stores.
Although most boating here is for getting to the best fishing
spot, the lake also attracts small sailboats and windsurfers,
especially in spring. Canoeists often put into the Rio
Grande just south of Elephant Butte Dam near the town of Williamsburg
and paddle down to Caballo Lake, a distance of about 10 miles.
There is no designated swimming beach, but the best swimming
is usually just west of the dam and in the upper flats, which
is on the north edge of the main park campgrounds.
There are developed campsites on a bluff overlooking the lake,
with all the usual amenities, and even a few trees. There
is also a lesser-developed beach camping area to the north of
the main section, which has chemical toilets, and where campers
can set up their tents or park their RV's wherever they want.
The bulk of the park's facilities are in the main section, on
the west side of the lake, just north of the dam. Another
campground is located along the Rio Grande just south of the
dam. It has more trees...cottonwoods, black willow, green
ash, and Arizona sycamore...and is more secluded than the lake
section of the park. It is here that the park's RV rally
site is located...the only one in the New Mexico State Park
System...with a large group shelter, huge barbecue grills, and a
gated campground that can accommodate over 200 recreational
vehicles.
Trails at Caballo Lake are more for walking from place to
place than serious hiking, and all of the park's 5.5 miles
of sandy trails are considered easy. The 0.25 mile Overlook
Trail is a loop over a grassy and cactus studded knoll that
offers good views out across the lake. Another trail
heads north from the campgrounds about 3 miles to an area
called Eagle Point. A branch of this trail also goes south
of the visitor center to the lake. The park also has
several well tended cactus gardens, with yucca, agave, ocotillo,
prickly pear, mesquite, and other desert plants.
Bird watching is most successful mid-week when there are fewer
boats on the lake, although it is generally not quite as good as
at nearby Percha Dam State Park. In recent years, a
breeding pair of Bald Eagles have made Caballo Lake their winter
lake. Also seen are Golden Eagles, Northern Goshawks,
Double-crested Cormorants, Common Loons, Snowy Egrets, Scaled
Quail, Sandhill Cranes, American White Pelicans and
Roadrunners. There are dozens of songbirds, several
species of Hummingbirds, and numerous Geese and Ducks.
Mammals include a seemingly endless parade of rock squirrels and
cottontail rabbits, plus the park is also home to coyotes,
wolves, foxes, raccoons, mule deer, and an occasional black
bear. There are also rattlesnakes, lizards, frogs and
turtles.
The small visitor center has displays on archeology of the area
and historic photos from the construction of Caballo Dam.
There are color photos of the birds, fish, and plants of the
park to help with identification, and there is a sandbox with
stamps to create footprints of the park's wildlife, including
deer, bald eagles, frogs, and snapping turtles. Annual
events at the park include several fishing tournaments,
including a youth fishing derby in late September. Each
April Earth Day is celebrated with tree plantings.
The busiest season at the park is summer, when campsites with
electric hookups fill quickly, especially on weekends.
Summer temperatures usually hit the 90's and sometimes exceed
100 degrees F during the day, but drop into the 60's at night.
Fall is pretty, and the park is less busy. The water
is still warm enough for swimming in October, and air temperatures
are usually in the mid-70's during the day and the upper 40's
and low 50's at night. Winters are quiet in the park,
making this a particularly good time for bird watching, with
daytime temperatures in the 50's, and nights in the 20's and
30's. Spring can be windy, with high temperatures ranging
from the 60's to low 80's, and lows from the upper 30's to
low 50's. The cactus often produce their best flower
display in late March or early April.
Courtesy of New Mexico State
Parks Division
Caballo Lake State Park
P.O. Box 32 Caballo, NM 87931
Office: 575 743-3942
Fax: 575 743-0031
Take a
Photo Tour of Caballo Lake
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