| Approximately 30,000 anglers visit
Eagle
Nest Lake every year and thousands more who just love the
13,000-foot Sangre de Cristo mountains overlooking the lake. Though
camping is not currently allowed at the lake, the Department of Game
and Fish has installed toilets, courtesy docks and boat ramps at the
lake.
Future plans for the lake include the
addition of campgrounds and picnic areas. Local guides and fishing
gear are abundantly available in the area to help the angler get
equipped and dispense plenty of advice on where the "big ones" are and
places to avoid.
Eagle
Nest continues to host the annual Fish Fest which T.D. Neal
started back in the 1930's. The Fish Fest, held in the fall,
features great prizes and an especially unique event - the world's
only Worm-Eating Contest!
Today, the Village of
Eagle
Nest is lined with arts and crafts shops, lodging, restaurants,
and saloons. The village is now known as a laid-back mountain town,
unbothered by the traffic and noise of city life. The village has seen
a renaissance in recent years with the addition of sidewalks,
old-fashioned streetlights, park benches and flowerboxes, making the
stroll through the village a pleasure. The less than mile long Main
street features numerous specialty shops carrying locally-made crafts
and fine arts, sculpture, sterling silver jewelry, Indian jewelry,
antiques, pottery, candies, fudge, clothing, souvenirs, T-shirts, and
much more.
The town's July 4th celebration features
an old fashioned parade, the annual fireman's barbeque, and one of
New
Mexico's largest fireworks displays over the lake.
Stream fishing in nearby
Cimarron
Canyon State Park also offers a worthwhile challenge to fly and bait
anglers. Browns and rainbows are abundant and the upper
1.4 miles of the river is designated as special waters. Only
fly-fishing and barbless single-hook lures are legal there.
For nature lovers, the high country terrain offers some of
the best scenery in the state with views of majestic mountains, valleys,
ranchlands and scenic vistas with pine, aspen and wildflowers. Herds
of elk can be seen roaming the pastures and sometimes have been known to
swim across the four mile long alpine lake.
Offering visitors year-round recreation the area provides some of the best
hiking trails, big game hunting, fishing and snow skiing to be found
anywhere. The abundant wildlife in the area includes bear, Trophy
elk, mountain cats, beavers, mountain lion, deer, turkey and bald and
golden eagles.
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