Cottonwood Cove Trail

The Cottonwood Cove Trail at Bottomless Lakes State Park winds through a beautiful gallery forest of Fremont cottonwood trees along the Pecos River corridor, offering a lush green counterpoint to the dramatic sinkhole lakes and arid desert terrain that characterize most of the park. The Pecos River riparian corridor in eastern New Mexico supports dense stands of cottonwood and other moisture-dependent trees and shrubs that create wildlife-rich habitat in this otherwise dry landscape. The trail follows the river floodplain through shaded passages where the cottonwood canopy filters afternoon light and creates a cool, serene walking environment. In fall, the cottonwood foliage turns brilliant gold and yellow, creating one of the most spectacular autumn color displays available in eastern New Mexico. The riparian corridor attracts an exceptional diversity of bird species, particularly during spring and fall migration when warblers, flycatchers, and other neotropical migrants move through the cottonwood gallery in large numbers. Great blue herons and great egrets wade the shallow river margins, while beavers have modified portions of the waterway creating additional wetland habitat. The loop returns through more open terrain with views of the red bluffs surrounding the sinkhole complex. The gentle terrain and pleasant shade of the cottonwood grove make this trail particularly appealing during the warmer months when the more exposed lakeshore trails can become uncomfortably hot under the intense eastern New Mexico sun.