Elephant Butte Lake State Park to undergo $1M in upgrades

ELEPHANT BUTTE, N.M. — New Mexico State Parks officials are set to begin a $1 million project to upgrade the comfort stations at Elephant Butte Lake State Park.

The project will begin April 1 and continue through August 2024. Crews will complete the project in stages:

  1. Renovation of the Ridge Road comfort station will begin April 1, with completion projected for mid-May
  2. Renovation of the Desert Cove comfort station set for May 20 to the end of July
  3. Demolition of the comfort station at the main entrance set to begin August 9, and will take a week

“We will have to close these stations as they are being worked on,” Park Superintendent Chris Bolen said. “We ask our visitors for patience and understanding during this process, which ultimately will produce facilities that enhance the overall park visitor experience for years to come.”

While construction is going on, campers can use vault and portable toilets.

Along with improving the comfort stations, State Parks is also making other improvements at the park:

  • Improvements to the RV dump station
  • Connection to sewer services from the City of Elephant Butte
  • Development of new aquatic invasive species check station
  • Improvements to Ridge Road infrastructure

Those projects are part of the State Parks’ 5-year capital improvement plan. They are in various stages of planning and completion.

The $18 million Lakeshore Road improvement project is still ongoing. Crews expect to complete it in spring 2025. State and federal funds are fueling the project, set to enhance the safety and access for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians traveling to Elephant Butte.