Eagle Nest Lake State Park

Eagle Nest Lake State Park
Eagle Nest Lake State Park
Location in New Mexico
LocationColfax County, New Mexico, United States
Coordinates36°31′58″N 105°15′54″W / 36.53278°N 105.26500°W / 36.53278; -105.26500[1]
Area3,488 acres (1,412 ha)
Elevation8,300 ft (2,500 m)[2]
Established2004[1]
Administered byNew Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
WebsiteOfficial website

Eagle Nest Lake State Park is a state park in New Mexico, United States, located outside Eagle Nest, approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Taos. It was established on July 3, 2004.[1] Its main attraction is a 2,400-acre (970 ha) lake which is popular for fishing and boating in summer, and ice fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter.[2]

The lake itself is a man-made reservoir created when the Cimarron River was impounded by the Eagle Nest Dam in 1918. Before this, the St. Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Railroad did some grading work in 1907 on an unfinished extension from its terminus at Ute Park to Taos, including boring a tunnel here.[3]

The lake is home to several species of fish, including rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon, yellow perch, common carp, white sucker, and northern pike, which were introduced into Eagle Nest Lake (by law, anglers must harvest/keep pike, because of their threat to the lake's gamefish populations).

Eagle Nest Lake is at an elevation of 8,300 feet (2,500 m), making it an alpine lake, and it is situated in a glacial valley on the slopes of Wheeler Peak, New Mexico's highest mountain.[4] The surrounding mountains are rich in wildlife such as elk, deer, turkeys and bears.

  • Lone fisherman at Eagle Nest Lake State Park
  • View of Wheeler Peak from Eagle Nest
  • Sunrise at Eagle Nest Lake

References

  1. ^ a b c "Eagle Nest LakeState Park". Recreation.gov. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Eagle Nest LakeState Park". NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. March 18, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  3. ^ Myrick, D. F: New Mexico's Railroads: A Historical Survey UMN Press 1990 p. 161
  4. ^ "Eagle Nest Lake State Park". publiclands.org. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
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