Ute Lake State Park ~ New Mexico

A great choice for an aquatic chill-out near Route 66 Tucumcari, New Mexico is Ute Lake State Park. In fact, back in the golden age of automobile travel when Route 66 was a prime time travel corridor, Ute Lake was a popular attraction for those touring the Mother Road. Tucumcari actually was the hub for Ute Lake visitors back when old Route 66 was still alive and well. Many a boater did an overnighter in Tucumcari after the long road trip, before hauling the trailer to Ute Lake.

From Tucumcari, U.S. Highway 54 goes to Ute Lake State Park. U.S. 54 is also part of the La Frontera Del Llano Scenic Byway, which is a great scenic drive in its own right. Plenty of Mule Deer, wild horses and Pronghorn Antelope can be seen along the stretch of road, so the drive can be an eventful one. A few big freight trains rolling by add to the charm of this place where the grassy Great Plains meet the mountains.

The access road to Ute Lake State Park can be found in Logan, New Mexico. The Logan economy still caters to Ute Lake boaters, anglers and campers, but as can be imagined, times have been tough ever since Route 66 was bypassed. High fuel prices and multiple recessions and have also contributed to the decreased visitor numbers. Logan was once bustling with seasonal tourism business long ago and there have been recent business closures. Many of the local businesses are also seasonal, so it is best to research which establishments will be open when making travel plans.

Ute Lake certainly is an appealing place to be on a hot summer day! New Mexico definitely has one of the best State Park management systems in the west and this shows at Ute Lake. Ute Lake State Park is immaculately maintained and the facilities are top notch. The RV slips and the boat ramps are up to snuff, so the boating and camping experience in Ute Lake State Park will be a good one from the start. Ute Lake shows that New Mexico takes pride in their public recreation areas and annual passes are available for a reasonable price. 

The spring season is when things start to happen at Ute Lake. As the weather warms up, campers start frequenting the area. By early summer, Ute Lake becomes an aquatic playground that offers relief from the extreme heat of the Desert Southwest. There is plenty of sunshine to soak up at and Ute Lake State Park even offers covered picnic tables for those who are just doing an afternoon getaway. There are some enticing shade trees by the lake too, which are perfect for snoozing while the fishing line is in the water. The best part is, Ute Lake State Park is rarely overcrowded because of the remote location and that is a good enough reason to keep the destination in mind when summer rolls around!