The historic Dam Site Lodge at Elephant Butte Lake. |
History, hot springs and fantastic fishing make a stay in the lodge or
cabins at Elephant Butte’s Dam Site a great spring getaway.
“We absolutely loved staying
here,” said Brenda Provins of LaPeer Michigan who spent six weeks with her husband staying in one
of the Dam Site’s recently restored historic cottages. “It was a great
vacation.”
Visitors to the Dam Site also
can spend a night in one of eight well-appointed rooms within the historic
lodge or rent one of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC ) built rock cabins overlooking the lake formed behind the
imposing dam.
A lodge room featuring artwork by Degrazia. |
Neal Brown is president of Lago
Rico Inc. which operates the Dam Site lodging and three marinas on the lake
under license with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Brown and his crew of
craftsmen have been restoring the Dam Site’s historic buildings since taking
over the operation from New Mexico State Parks in 2015.
“It’s been a labor of love,”
he says of his efforts to restore and improve the accommodations offered at the
Dam Site. “But it’s worth it to preserve one of the prettiest places in the
southwest.”
Visitors relaxing on the lodge’s
veranda or a cabin porch are afforded a great view of the lake’s namesake,
Elephant Butte.
Elephant Butte. |
And it’s just a quick drive
down the lake’s edge to fish for bass and other species, especially during the spring
when angling conditions improve.
Above the lodge and cabins
guests will find a park constructed by CCC workers featuring barbecue grills and shelters with even more great
views of the lake.
Evidence of the CCC handiwork during the Great Depression can be seen everywhere at the Dam
Site which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Statute honoring CCC workers. |
The CCC was a Depression-era government program that provided unemployed men
jobs and housing in work camps around the country. There are many such sites in
New Mexico and for more information please visit the State
Historian’s website at http://newmexicohistory.org/people/great-depression-and-new-deal-in-new-mexico-1929.
Guests at the Dam Site will
find plenty to do in the area.
In the nearby town of Truth or Consequences visitors can bask in the waters from
natural hot springs offered at several different establishments.
A private hot tub with a view overlooking the Rio Grande at Riverbend Hot Springs in Truth or Consequences. |
The town also boasts one of
the state’s oldest and best steakhouses, plenty of great shopping and the Geronimo Springs Museum .
The nearby town of Elephant Butte caters to anglers and offers many different access
points to the lake throughout the state park.
A drive around the surrounding
countryside reveals miles of remote desert and expansive scenery in every
direction.
Spaceport America in the desert outside of Elephant Butte Lake. |
The federal Bureau of
Reclamation operates the dam and is pleased with the restoration work Brown is
doing to the historic structures.
“He has taken on a lot of
this work on his own, invested a lot and is doing a fantastic job there,” said Mary
Carlson of the Public Affairs office of the federal Bureau of Reclamation in
Albuquerque.
A restored CCC built cabin at the Dam Site. |
Those interested in helping
with the restoration cause need only rent a room at the lodge or a cabin or cottage. The Dam Site
also offers campsites for recreational vehicles. For more information and
reservations visit www.thedamsite.com.
Interior of a CCC built cabin under restoration at the Dam Site. |
2 comments:
We enjoyed our visit to the area and found the staff at the dam site to be very accommodating and love the surrounding area to be so beautiful that we purchased a home in Truth or Consequences and become year round residents so we can escape the harsh winter weather in Michigan.
Great article! Thanks for the boost!
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