Exploring Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Just 10 miles northeast of Roswell, New Mexico you will find the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Established in 1937 Bitter Lake is where the Chihuahuan Desert meets short grass prairie, the Pecos River and the Roswell artesian basin providing multiple lakes that create a unique ecological landscape.

 

The Refuge is open every day from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. It is free to visit and pet friendly. The visitor center remains closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Restroom facilities are available on the auto tour loop wildlife drive.

This refuge is a mecca for wildlife.

An impressive 357 species of birds have been documented at the refuge. The area serves as a stopover for numerous migrating species. Thousands of migrating lesser sandhill cranes visit the lakes each year. Ross and snow geese and about 20 different duck species make the trek to the refuge every year as well.

 

On our visit a large flock of, I believe, snow geese (maybe ross) were there. They are beautiful birds we had never encountered in the wild before so it was quite a treat. We saw at least a dozen other bird species on our visit as well, including several ducks and a few larger birds of prey.

More than 100 species of dragonflies and damselflies have also been documented on Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The peak dragonfly population occurs in July and August.

The refuge is considered to be home to one of the most diverse populations of odonates in North America and even hosts an annual dragonfly festival in September.

 

Birds and dragonflies aren’t the only wildlife found in the refuge. There are also 59 species of mammals, more than 50 species of reptiles and amphibians and 24 types of fish that call this area home.

Wildlife viewing is just one of the activities to participate in during your visit.

The eight mile (or 6.5 depending on which resource you look at) auto tour loop wildlife drive will take you around the entire public access areas of the refuge. This drive is a great way to see the landscape of this unique ecosystem and the perfect opportunity to scout for wildlife.

 

There are a number of overlooks to stop at for different vantage points of the area including Goose Hill Overlook, Sandhill Crane Overlook and Dragonfly overlook.

A couple hiking trails are also located along the drive giving you the opportunity to get a closer look at the landscape. Most are quite short and have hardly any elevation gain so not much effort is required to complete them.

 

The longest is the Oxbow Trail which takes you through a deep water channel and is only two miles long. The trek will take you along the waters edge as well as shrub and thicket areas that host an assortment of native plant species. It’s the perfect location for bird watching and is pretty easy to hike.

During our visit the water appeared very low. I don’t know if it was because of the time of year, lack of rainfall or that’s just the way it normally looks. Whatever the reason we still had a great time visiting the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

 

It’s an amazing ecosystem teeming with wildlife and activities for visitors. I would love to be there during the sandhill crane migration. I’ve seen pictures and it looks incredible.

If you happen to be visiting Roswell (which I highly recommend) and have some extra time head on up to the refuge. It’s a nature opportunity you don’t want to miss out on!