Historical Marker
Clayton Lake State Park
The rolling grasslands around Clayton Lake were once a domain of the huge buffalo herds that ranged the Great Plains. Many years prior to this, dinosaurs ruled the area, as indicated by a series of tracks embedded in the rock near the lake. Clayton Lake is stocked with rainbow trout and channel catfish, and also provides good bass and walleye fishing. The lake serves as a wintering area for waterfowl.
New Mexico was one of the last territories to become a state, gaining statehood in 1912. Before that, it had been part of the Spanish Empire, Mexico, and the United States Territory of New Mexico.