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New Mexico's largest state park, Elephant Butte is set in the lower Rio Grande Valley and includes 24,500 acres of desert habitat and 36,000 acres of lake surface.
The lake is a 40-mile-long reservoir, created in 1916 when a dam was constructed across the Rio Grande. Today, this extensive waterway is a major destination for boating, waterskiing, fishing and camping. Three marinas, operated by concessionaires, offer a total of 400 slips and buoy moorings as well as fuel, supplies, rental boats and restaurants.
The climate at Elephant Butte is mild, making it popular for year-round visitation. Visitor numbers can approach 100,000 during the Memorial Day weekend.
The several camping areas have 134 developed campsites, 101 of them with electrical hookups, and there are also several backcountry sites.
The park's name comes from a unique geological formation rising from the center of the reservoir: an ancient volcanic core eroded into the shape of an elephant. Interestingly, the area also has yielded fossils of the stegomastodon, a prehistoric forerunner of today's elephant.
Elephant Butte is rich in wildlife. Birdwatchers enjoy sightings of bald eagles, kestrels, great blue herons, roadrunners and more than 20 species of ducks.
Anglers try for largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleyes, white bass, bluegills and channel catfish.
Outdoor Activities |
The round gray form of Elephant Butte rises out of the reservoir at this popular New Mexico state park.
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