Elephant Butte Lake Camping
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Overview
A brief introduction to Elephant Butte Lake
Elephant Butte Reservoir is a reservoir on the southern part of the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Truth or Consequences. The reservoir is the 84th largest man-made lake in the United States and the largest in New Mexico by total surface area and peak volume. It is the only place in New Mexico that one can find pelicans perched on or alongside the lake. There are also temporary US Coast Guard bases stationed at Elephant Butte. It is impounded by Elephant Butte Dam and is part of the largest state park in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park.
The reservoir is part of the Rio Grande Project to provide power and irrigation to south-central New Mexico and western Texas. It began to be filled in 1915 and 1916 and at highstand was the largest man-made lake in the world.
The reservoir can hold 2,065,010 acre-feet (2.54715×109 m3) of water from a drainage of 28,900 square miles (74,850 km2). It provides irrigation to 178,000 acres (720 km2) of land.
Fishing is a popular recreational activity on the reservoir, which contains striped bass, white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, walleye and catfish.
ARE Elephant Butte Lake campsites SOLD OUT?
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Scan for cancellationsContact Elephant Butte Lake
- Reserve America
- Booking site: https://www.reserveamerica.com
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Other nearby parks
Open to camping at other nearby parks? Here are a few other parks you'll find in the vicinity.
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Map
View a map of Elephant Butte Lake
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