Explore Bottomless Lakes State Park of Roswell

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By Adrian Hedden
Reading time: Less than 1 min.
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Medha Sarin
Roswell Tribune
msarin@elritomedia.com

Bottomless Lakes State Park, located 15 miles southeast of Roswell, is a series of eight lakes surrounded by rocky red buffs.

A pool of water fills Cottonwood Lake in Bottomless Lakes State Park.
Red rocks loom over Cottonwood Lake.

The lakes formed after water dissolved salt and gypsum deposits, forming caverns. The roofs of the caverns grew heavy and collapsed, forming large sinkholes that filled with water and became lakes.

The lakes range from 17 to 90 feet deep.

Lea Lake, open for recreational use, sits inside Bottomless Lakes State Park.

Lea Lake is the park’s designated recreational area for swimming, kayaking and playing on the sandy shore. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, visitors can rent paddle boards and pedal boats.

Kayakers fall overboard July 27 in Lea Lake.
Childrens’ Crocs and beach toys lie scattered, July 27, across the sandy beachside of Lea Lake.
A tower stands by the Lea Lake parking lot.
Lea Lake at Bottomless Lakes State Park.

Adrian Hedden
Adrian Hedden
I am the managing editor of the Carlsbad Current-Argus, Artesia Daily Press and Roswell Tribune. I have lived in Carlsbad since 2016 when I moved here from Michigan, where I grew up in Ann Arbor. My wife Cassie and I are incredibly proud of our son Charlie, who was born Feb. 1, 2026 and quickly developed a taste for sweet potatoes.

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