Clayton Lake State Park

Clayton Lake State Park
Clayton Lake State Park
	Dinosaur footprint from the fossil trackway at Clayton Lake State Park
	Location of Clayton Lake State Park in New Mexico
Location	Union, New Mexico, United States
Coordinates	36°34′42″N 103°18′22″W / 36.57833°N 103.30611°W
Area	471 acres (191 ha)
Elevation	5,040 ft (1,540 m)
Established	1965
Governing body	New Mexico State Parks Division

Clayton Lake State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, featuring a 170-acre (69 ha) recreational reservoir and a fossil trackway of dinosaur footprints. It is located 15 miles (24 km) north of Clayton, close to New Mexico's border with Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. The park is accessed via New Mexico State Road 455. The landscape is characterized by rolling grasslands, volcanic rocks, and sandstone bluffs, set on the western edge of the Great Plains. The park area was a stopover point for travelers along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail.

Visitor activities include picnicking, camping, and fishing at the lake, as well as viewing one of the most extensive dinosaur trackways in North America. Clayton Lake was created by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in 1955 as a fishing lake and winter waterfowl resting area.

A dam was constructed across Seneca Creek, which is actually a series of seeps except after heavy rains. During the fishing season, which usually runs from March to October each year, the lake is a popular spot for anglers hoping to catch trout, catfish, bass, and walleye. Boats are allowed on the lake, but are restricted to trolling speeds. The lake is closed to fishing during the winter, when it serves as a stopover for waterfowl.

The park offers a group shelter and a modern comfort station. The dinosaur tracks are embedded in rock near the lake. They can be observed on the dam spillway at the end of a gentle 0.25-mile (0.40 km) trail. The best times to view the tracks are in the morning and the late afternoon. A sheltered gazebo and a boardwalk trail provide extensive information regarding the dinosaurs.^[1]

In 2010 the Clayton Lake State Park with the Star Point Observatory was designated by the International Dark-Sky Association as a Dark Sky Park.^[2]^[3]

References

^ New Mexico State Parks Division. "Clayton Lake State Park". New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
^ International Dark-Sky Association (June 29, 2010). "International Dark-Sky Association Recognizes State Parks in New Mexico and Washington for Night Sky Preservation Efforts" (PDF) (Press release). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
^ "International Dark-Sky Park Designation (Gold Level): Clayton Lake State Park Nomination Packet" (PDF). New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

External links

state site
Clayton Lake State Park local site

Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Clayton_Lake_State_Park
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[1] New Mexico State Parks Division. "Clayton Lake State Park". New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Retrieved January 7, 2011.

[2] International Dark-Sky Association (June 29, 2010). "International Dark-Sky Association Recognizes State Parks in New Mexico and Washington for Night Sky Preservation Efforts" (PDF) (Press release). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 17, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.

[3] "International Dark-Sky Park Designation (Gold Level): Clayton Lake State Park Nomination Packet" (PDF). New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

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v t e Protected areas of New Mexico
National Parks	Carlsbad Caverns White Sands
National Historical Parks	Chaco Culture Manhattan Project Pecos
National monuments	Aztec Ruins Bandelier Capulin Volcano El Malpais El Morro Fort Union Gila Cliff Dwellings Petroglyph Salinas Pueblo Missions
National Recreation Areas	Jemez (USFS)
National Trails	Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Old Spanish Trail Santa Fe Trail
National Forests	Apache–Sitgreaves Carson Cibola Coronado Gila Lincoln Santa Fe
National Grasslands	Kiowa
National Wildlife Refuges	Bitter Lake Bosque del Apache Grulla Las Vegas Maxwell San Andres Sevilleta Valle de Oro
National Conservation Areas	El Malpais Fort Stanton–Snowy River Cave
BLM National Monuments	Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks Prehistoric Trackways Rio Grande del Norte
National Natural Landmarks	List of National Natural Landmarks in New Mexico
National Preserves	Valles Caldera
Wilderness	Aldo Leopold Apache Kid Bandelier Bisti/De-Na-Zin Blue Range Bosque del Apache Capitan Mountains Carlsbad Caverns Cebolla Chama River Canyon Columbine–Hondo Cruces Basin Dome Gila Latir Peak Manzano Mountain Ojito Pecos Sabinoso Salt Creek San Pedro Parks Sandia Mountain West Malpais Wheeler Peak White Mountain Withington
Wild and Scenic Rivers	East Fork Jemez River Pecos River Red River Rio Chama Rio Grande
State Parks	Bluewater Lake Bottomless Lakes Brantley Lake Caballo Lake Cerrillos Hills Cimarron Canyon City of Rocks Clayton Lake Conchas Lake Coyote Creek Eagle Nest Lake El Vado Lake Elephant Butte Lake Fenton Lake Heron Lake Hyde Memorial Leasburg Dam Living Desert Zoo and Gardens Manzano Mountains Mesilla Valley Bosque Morphy Lake Navajo Lake Oasis Oliver Lee Memorial Pancho Villa Percha Dam Rio Grande Nature Center Rockhound Santa Rosa Lake Storrie Lake Sugarite Canyon Sumner Lake Ute Lake Villanueva
New Mexico Department of Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources