Elephant Butte

We arrived at Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort on September 1 for a week.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

This National Wildlife Refuge is located just south of Socorro, New Mexico. 

The Refuge has a very nice visitor center and is over 57,000 acres.

Thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese arrive here beginning in October and winter on the Refuge.

There is a 14-mile self-guided auto tour loop. Some of the American White Pelicans have already made their stop over during their migration.

Fort Craig National Historic Park

Fort Craig, established in 1854, was one of the largest and most important frontier forts in the West. Set in the rugged beauty of Socorro County, N.M., it was one of the eight forts situated along the primary north-south road in the Rio Grande Valley. Fort Craig played a crucial role in Indian campaigns and the Civil War. The fort is in a rather remote location, about four miles off I-25 on a gravel road on property managed by Bureau of Land Management.

This is part of what is left, the Commanding Officer's Quarters.

Veterans Memorial Park and Hamilton Military Museum in Truth or Consequences

The museum was quite extensive and held memorabilia of all wars involving the US military.

This is a half scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington DC. After traveling the United States for three years, it found its permanent home in T or C, New Mexico.

Elephant Butte Lake and Dam

Just down the road from our campground is the Elephant Butte Lake and State Park. The lake was quite busy over the Labor Day Holiday weekend.

The Elephant Butte Dam was built in 1912 and enhanced in 1938.

The dam is 1674 feet long and over 300 feet tall and holds back the Rio Grande River.

The lake is currently about 5% full.

The namesake of the lake - Elephant Butte. Using your imagination, it looks like an elephant laying down with its head to the far left.