About Heron Lake State Park
Heron Lake is a reservoir in Rio Arriba County, in northern New Mexico. The lake is part of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation San Juan-Chama Project, which transfers water from the upper reaches of the San Juan River through the 12.8-mile Azotea Tunnel (and under the Continental Divide), into Willow Creek and the Rio Chama (and ultimately into the Rio Grande). The lake, dam, and state park are named after Kenneth A. Heron, an engineer in the early 1900s who realized that water could be diverted from wetter areas to the north, to the benefit of more arid regions to the south. Heron Dam was completed in 1971; it is owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Heron Lake became a State Park in 1973. Heron Lake State Park is a scenic lake area that is ideal for kayaking, sailing and windsurfing, as well as fishing for record-size trout and ice fishing. The park is semi-connected to neighboring El Vado Lake State Park via a 5.5 mile trail that takes hikers across a suspension bridge spanning the Rio Chama Gorge and through incredible scenery featuring rock formations, cliff walls, and high altitude arid forest land. Heron Lake State Park and the surrounding area truly do offer sights that cannot be seen in other areas of the state. Camping is popular here, with the park sitting at a relatively high altitude and offering a climate and surroundings that differs greatly from New Mexico's lower altitude parks. Heron Lake offers a visitor center with exhibits, primitive camping, 250 developed campsites, 54 electric campsites, 2 Picnic group shelters, boating, fishing, education programs, swimming, trails, hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and exciting summer events. Make a reservation on the New Mexico State Parks reservation website.
