Distance: 12 Miles
Contact: Charles Jordan
Hours of Operation: 24 Hours
Fees: $4 / per vehicle Camping Fee: $10 - $14
Clayton Lake State Park is located 15 miles north of Clayton, close to New Mexico’s
border with Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. The landscape is characterized by rolling
grasslands, volcanic rocks and sandstone bluffs. Set on the western edge of the
Great Plains, it was a stopover point for travelers along the Cimarron Cutoff
of the Santa Fe Trail. Visitors today can enjoy picnicking, camping, and superb
fishing at the park’s 170-acre lake, as well as view one of the most extensive
dinosaur trackways in North America.
The Park
Clayton Lake was created by the State Game and Fish Department in 1955 as a fishing
lake and winter waterfowl resting area. A dam was constructed across Seneca Creek,
which is actually a series of seeps except after heavy rains. During the fishing
season, which usually runs from April to October each year, the lake is a popular
spot for anglers hoping to catch trout, catfish, bass and walleye. Boats are allowed
on the lake, but are restricted to trolling speeds. The lake is closed to fishing
during the winter, when it serves as a stopover for waterfowl. Several duck species
including mallards, pintails, and teals frequent the lake, and Canadian geese
and balk eagles are often seen here.
The park offers camping and picnicking facilities, a group shelter, and a modern
comfort station. The dinosaur tracks are located on the dam spillway, at the end
of a gentle half mile trail. Best times to view the tracks are in the morning
and late afternoon. A sheltered gazebo and boardwalk trail along the trackway
provide extensive information regarding the dinosaurs who traveled here so long
ago. |
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