Conchas Lake State Park, New Mexico

I just got back to civilization from a week in a state park – no internet, no phone, no TV. During the week, it was quiet, very few people in the park. On Friday, there was a parade coming in - trailers, big motorhomes and lots of boats. By Saturday night, there were only about 2 spots open – there were even a few tent campers. People started leaving Sunday, some on Monday and it was back to a quiet park with only a few people.

On the way there, I went through some dramatic scenery, hills with red rocks and dirt with several contrasting shades of green grass and trees. On the same road, there’s a winding stretch along a side of a mesa with a steep drop on the other side.  That part is a "falling rocks" zone with big boulders perched on the side, just waiting for a big storm to wash them down.

 

As with most of the New Mexico parks, this one is situated on a lake with a dam. The lake is actually a canyon, which makes for a pretty scene, high rocky shores and gigantic boulders along the lake. No beaches unless the water level is very low. Since the elevation is about 4200 feet above sea level, the water is cold. The weather usually gets down between 65-70ish during the night, even though the days can be in the 90s. While I was there, we had a few overcast days, which made it very comfortable during the day, only in the 80s with not much humidity.

 

There were a few houseboats out on the lake, permanently anchored. One was a travel trailer that someone had put on a barge type boat, with a roof built over it. At least the guy has waterfront property.

 

While I was there, I took a tour of the dam, very impressive. It took about 3000 men about 4 years to build back in the 1930s. It's 1250 feet long and 200 feet tall When we got down into the depths of the concrete tunnels running through the dam, it was about 67 degrees - quite chilly, reminding me of all the caverns I'd been touring. I was not allowed to take photos inside, for security reasons. The tour was about an hour long, through long concrete tunnels and multiple steps down to about 160 feet below the water. Well worth the time, especially since I'd never been in a dam.