Cimarron Canyon State Park is a
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
of
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, United States, located east of
Eagle Nest in the Colin Neblett Wildlife Area. The park extends for along the Cimarron Canyon between Tolby Creek and Ute Park. The
Palisades Sill
The Palisades Sill is a Triassic, 200 Ma diabase intrusion. It extends through portions of New York and New Jersey. It is most noteworthy for The Palisades, the cliffs that rise steeply above the western bank of the Hudson River. The ideal loc ...
forms spectacular cliffs above the Cimarron River here.
The park is home to a newly constructed visitor's center in the Tolby campground, as well as three developed day use areas. The park includes numerous trails, which are used for hiking in the summer and snow shoeing in the winter, the most popular being the Clear Creek Trail, which follows the Clear Creak and offers views of several small waterfalls. Throughout the year, you can expect to see deer, elk, bear, turkey, and many species of birds. Self pay stations are located throughout the park at all campgrounds and some day use areas. Day use permits are $5 per vehicle per day, although other fees may apply for users of the Colin Neblett Wildlife Area.
Fishing
The park is popular for
trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...
fishing in the
Cimarron River and its tributaries, Clear Creek and Tolby Creek.
Cimarron Canyon State Park
/ref> Stocked trout include rainbow and brown. The river is maintained by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) is a state-level government department within the New Mexico Governor's Cabinet that is responsible for maintaining wildlife and fish in the state. The NMDGF undertakes protection, conservation and ...
at a trout density of approximately 3,000 fish per mile, although water flow can vary between 2 and 50 cfs. Fishing season is busiest during the summer months. There is also popular fishing at the Gravel Pit Lakes within the Maverick Campground. The lakes got their names as material was drawn from where the lakes now sit, to be used as base course
The base course or basecourse in pavements is a layer of material in an asphalt roadway, race track, riding arena, or sporting field. It is located under the surface layer consisting of the ''wearing course'' and sometimes an extra ''binder cour ...
for U.S. Route 64
U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles (3,743 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 1 ...
. The park hosts a children's fishing derby every Mother's day weekend.
Camping
Cimarron Canyon State Park boasts three full campgrounds, which are located along the river between the villages of Eagle Nest and Ute Park. These include the Maverick, Tolby, and Ponderosa campgrounds, as well as Black Jack Tent Area. All three campgrounds offer numerous individual sites for RV or tent camping. Full bathrooms with plumbing (and potable water) are available at each campground, although electricity is not. Campfires are allowed weather permitting, at the discretion of the county fire marshal, in combination with the local park rangers. Normal camping season takes place between the middle of May to mid September, but is usually avoided during the winter months due to snow and freezing temperatures. Camping costs are $10 per night per vehicle and annual camping permits, valid at any New Mexico State Park, are also available.
Gallery
Image:Mountain valley at Cimarron Canyon State Park (NM) Picture_1987.jpg, Cimarron Canyon State Park, just below the dam for Eagle Nest Lake
The Eagle Nest Dam is a dam just east of the town of Eagle Nest, New Mexico on U.S. Route 64. The dam, on private property, is on the Cimarron River, and is responsible for Eagle Nest Lake.
History
In 1907, two wealthy ranchers, Frank Springer ...
.
Image:Deer at Cimarron Canyon State Park (NM) Picture_1991.jpg, Deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
at Cimarron Canyon State Park
See also
* Philmont Scout Ranch
Philmont Scout Ranch is a ranch located in Colfax County, New Mexico, near the village of Cimarron; it covers of wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the east side of the Cimarron Range of the Rocky Mountains. Donated by oil baro ...
References
External links
Cimarron Canyon State Park
{{authority control
State parks of New Mexico
Parks in Colfax County, New Mexico
Protected areas established in 1979
1979 establishments in New Mexico