The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
at Santa Rosa State Park - the lake and the dam
2528 Joe and Louie Page Road
Santa Rosa NM 88435
October 7, 2022

The Visitor Center was closed on the date that the two RV Gypsies were here, but they still enjoyed The Santa Rosa Dam and Lake area.

Below: Panorama approaching the Overlook Area

Below: Panorama and Karen Duquette on the viewing platform of the Overlook Area shown above.

Below: Panorama of the Dam and Lake from the platform shown above.

Below: View Leaving the viewing platform

Below: As Karen Duquette was walking behind Lee Duquette (see the above photo) she took a couple of pictures of their car through the trees.

Below: Various views of the Dam and Lake

Santa Rosa Dam (National ID # NM00158) is a dam in Guadalupe County, New Mexico.

The earthen dam was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, with a height of 214 feet and 1900 feet long at its crest. The uppermost major dam along the Pecos River, it serves for irrigation water storage and flood control. Originally proposed in 1951 and authorized in 1954, the dam (then known as the Los Esteros project) generated controversy, as the Fort Sumner Irrigation District which depended on the Pecos River contended it would increase evaporation rates. It was not until 1971 when an agreement was reached to reduce the permanent storage pool at Los Esteros. Construction lasted from 1974 to 1979, and the name of the dam and lake were changed to Santa Rosa the following year. The reservoir it creates is the Santa Rosa Lake.

Below: View of the top of the Santa Rosa Dam

Below: The reservoir created by the dam, Santa Rosa Lake, has a normal water surface area of 26 square miles, a maximum capacity of 717,000 acre-feet, and a normal capacity of 200,000 acre-feet. Recreation includes fishing (for largemouth bass, catfish and walleye), boating, camping, and other activities at the adjacent Santa Rosa Lake State Park.

Below: While walking on a short loop trail, the two RV Gypsies loved the big rock shown below because of its shape and hole placements, so they each imagined different descriptions of the rock. A slightly different photo angle gives an entirely different impression to the viewer. Karen Duquette thought the first picture looked like a clam, and the second picture looked like a giant skull - (two views of the same rock giving off different shapes).

Below: Karen Duquette under the ledge of another uniquely shaped giant rock.

The skies started to cloud up so the two RV Gypsies hurried back to their car. But they stopped where the road ended in water.

Below: Panoramas often give the impression that a road curves, even though it is a straight road, as was the case below.

Below: Then it was time for the two RV Gypsies to drive away to their next adventure.

Below: Lee Duquette spotted some deer getting ready to run across the road, so he stopped the car. The deer paused to look at the car then took off in a single-file run across the road while Karen Duquette snapped a couple of quick photos.

This is not a linear site, so there are always choices of where to go next: Below are 2 choices, plus the main navigational buttons for this very large website.

Continue on to Blue Hole Park Lake, Santa Rosa, NM - a great place to scuba dive

OR

Return to the September 2022 RV road trip menu to explore sites in the order of your choice.

OR Continue Navigation in the order of your choice via the alphabetical or category buttons below OR Click here to see travels by the year (not the best way)