Clayton Lake State Park

Clayton Lake State Park encompasses a large freshwater reservoir surrounded by grasslands at an elevation of 5,186 feet in northeastern New Mexico.

The park, established in 1965, gained recognition when construction workers uncovered hundreds of dinosaur tracks during dam excavation in the 1980s.

The park observatory and astronomical programs allow visitors to study constellations and celestial bodies in one of the darkest locations in New Mexico.

The park maintains 26 developed campsites with electrical connections, modern restrooms, showers, and picnic areas for overnight and day visitors.

The exposed bedrock near the spillway contains more than 500 fossilized dinosaur footprints from the Cretaceous period.

Location: Union County

Inception: 1965

Website: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/clayton-lake-state-park-and-dinosaur-trackways/

Website: https://emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/clayton-lake-state-park-and-dinosaur-trackways

GPS coordinates: 36.57830,-103.30600

Latest update: March 14, 2025 05:22