Come with me to my favorite place in New Mexico, Elephant Butte! Elephant Butte is a small city surrounding a lake just north of Truth or Consequences. The endless nights, colorful sunrises, and heated days are the perfect way to end a stressful week. The drive from almost anywhere in New Mexico, may seem never ending as you look outside your window to see deserted life, but it is worth it. As you arrive closer to the butte, you see the blue green ripple-filled lake thriving with energy. Boats, water skis, fishing poles, tents, and campsites are among the various life around the lake. A day at the lake consists of early mornings, to beat the heat, to set up your campsite. After setting up, your adventure will start. The prime months the Butte is most occupied happens to be late May to early October, but from my experiences, the water remains chilly even on the hottest days. Many people are disgusted by the smell and consistency of murky lake water, but it is all a part of the experience. The first step into the lake is the hardest; your whole body fills with chills as you slowly progress your way into what seems like the Arctic Ocean. Finally, you are waist deep and the cold water is now warming you as you quickly rush further in. You can feel the sun beaming down and adding color to your skin as the water cools this sensation. As you reflect on your stressful week, looking around at the beautiful nature surrounding you will overwhelm you with relaxation.
Elephant Butte was created as a dam using water from the Rio Grande to fill. It is 40 miles long and contains 200 miles of a sandy shoreline. This is equal to almost 36, 500 acres of land with 24, 500 acres of water making Elephant Butte
the largest state park in New Mexico (New Mexico State Parks, 1).The name was determined from the eroded core of an ancient volcano, which is now an island reservoir located in the center of the lake, that resembles an elephant. You can actually boat to the monument and see the elephant come to life as you glide across the water and around the reservoir. There are many activities to participate in during your relaxing weekend at the Butte. There are several marinas where you can rent ski boats, pontoon boats, kayaks, paddle boats, and jet skis to view the widely stretched lake firsthand. As you begin your excursion on the lake, you will see determined water skiers struggling to get up after falling countless number of times.
Once they are up, the skiers gracefully glide across the lake soaking in the scenery around them. Jet skiers are everywhere following boats closely to thrive off of the wake produced by the boats. Fishing boats are spread out around the lake with patient men and women waiting for a bite. The Butte has several kinds of fish swimming in the water with you. Black bass, Striper, Crappie, Perch, Catfish, Sunfish, Blue gill, and Carp are the most common (Elephant Butte Lake, Activities). The Butte even offers special activities such as lighted boat parades, fireworks, balloon regattas, full moon nights, and Halloween festivals. As the day comes to an end, the smell of campfire and s’mores will become overwhelming. The nights at the Butte cool down fast. Do not leave home without a warm sleeping bag and socks! You get to end your night sitting in the sand, feet in the water, watching the sky change from orange to pink to red to purple as it sets behind the mountains. The black, star filled sky lights up the night and if you look carefully you will see a shooting star or two.
The peaceful waves of the lake hitting the shore, crackling of the fire, and rustling of sleeping bags in the sand helps to calm your mind and gently rock you to sleep. Just a warning, do not expect a full night’s sleep. The sun will wake you up bright and early between 5 or 6 A.M. Waking up early is never an easy task but with the lake reflecting the sun into your eyes, it becomes much simpler. The sunrise will grace you with its presence as it smiles from behind the mountains rising quickly into the sky. The Butte not only has nature to offer but it is also a great place to spend your weekend with family and friends. Socializing by the fire, splashing around in the water, singing songs, and spending quality time together with limited distractions is the perfect way to spend a weekend away. During the summertime, the shoreline is full of trailers, tents, and trucks with excited families and friends gathering to share the heat of the sun. You can hear laughter, stories, and music from all over the campsites on
the sandy shore. Spending quality time with family and friends is something that can only make an experience better when surrounding yourself in nature as well. As you step foot onto the sand, again, you remember the carefree feeling of the day before causing you to seek more. The ability of nature to help you overcome the struggles of life is a strong factor. The soothing sounds of boat motors, waves calmly crashing into the shoreline, and laughter filling the air helps you to remember the importance of stepping back to look at the little things in life that matter the most. Your experience at Elephant Butte will intrigue you into wanting more, as it has for me, making your visit a more normal basis.
Works Cited:
“Elephant Butte State Park.” 2011. New Mexico State Parks. 5 October 2011.
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/elephant.htm
“Discover Elephant Butte.” 2011. Elephant Butte Lake. 5 October 2011.
http://elephantbuttelake.net/activities.php
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