Cimarron Canyon State Park

Know Before You Go!
Cimarron Canyon State Park is closed due to the Ute Park Fire. Hyde Memorial, Fenton Lake, and Morphy Lake State Parks are also currently closed until further notice due to extreme fire danger in the Santa Fe National Forest. Many New Mexico State Parks are currently under Fire Restrictions. Please check the Park status before you go on New Mexico State Parks.com

The Cimarron River flows through this narrow, forested canyon, located near Eagle Nest on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. The park offers beautiful views, interesting geology, quiet camping, fly fishing, hiking and equestrian trails. The wildlife viewing opportunities are amazing, as the park sits at the center of the Colin Neblett Wildlife Management Area.

The park is home to a newly constructed visitor's center in the Tolby campground, as well as three developed day use areas. The park includes numerous trails, which are used for hiking in the summer and snow shoeing in the winter, the most popular being the Clear Creek Trail, which follows the Clear Creek and offers views of several small waterfalls. Throughout the year, you can expect to see deer, elk, bear, turkey, and many species of birds.

The park is popular for trout fishing in the Cimarron River and its tributaries, Clear Creek and Tolby Creek. Stocked trout include rainbow and brown. The river is maintained by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish at a trout density of approximately 3,000 fish per mile, although water flow can vary between 2 and 50 cfs. Fishing season is busiest during the summer months. There is also popular fishing at the Gravel Pit Lakes within the Maverick Campground. The lakes got their names as material was drawn from where the lakes now sit, to be used as base course for U.S. Route 64. The park hosts a children's fishing derby every Mother's day weekend.

Cimarron Canyon State Park boasts three full campgrounds, which are located along the river between the villages of Eagle Nest and Ute Park. These include the Maverick, Tolby, and Ponderosa campgrounds, as well as Black Jack Tent Area. All three campgrounds offer numerous individual sites for RV or tent camping. Full bathrooms with plumbing (and potable water) are available at each campground, although electricity is not. Campfires are allowed weather permitting, at the discretion of the county fire marshal, in combination with the local park rangers.

Park Elevation 7,876 ft
Make a reservation on the New Mexico State Parks reservation website.