Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in Chaves County, New Mexico, US

Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge covers two separate sections on the banks of the Pecos River in Chaves County, New Mexico. The river crosses the refuge and forms oxbow lakes, while the Roswell aquifer feeds springs and dissolves gypsum to create sinkholes, some now deep lakes. The northernmost of its three parts lies almost entirely within the Salt Creek Wilderness.

Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1937 to provide habitat for migratory birds such as the sandhill crane and snow goose. Its Bitter Lake Group of lakes and wetlands was listed as a National Natural Landmark in 1980, and the refuge became a Ramsar site in 2010. The northernmost of its three parts lies almost entirely within the Salt Creek Wilderness.

The place is an internationally recognized refuge where migratory birds stop to feed and rest during their winter journey. Walking through the wetlands, you see thousands of birds moving across the water and sky in constant motion.

The refuge lies a few miles northeast of Roswell in two separate sections on the banks of the Pecos River; the northernmost part is almost entirely within the Salt Creek Wilderness. An auto tour route crosses the refuge, with a special viewing area for dragonflies along it. Dragonfly numbers peak in July and August, and an annual dragonfly festival is held in September.

The Bitter Lake Group of lakes and wetlands was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980, and the refuge has been a Ramsar site since 2010. Its northernmost section lies almost entirely within the Salt Creek Wilderness.