Park Lake is one of the most popular lakes in Santa Rosa. (Photo by Darrel Gomez Jr.)

Story by Darrel Gomez Jr.

Santa Rosa, the seat of Guadalupe County, is known for its numerous natural springs in the northeastern part of New Mexico.

Santa Rosa offers many tourist attractions for those interested in the outdoors. Every summer, thousands of tourists pour into Santa Rosa for softball tournaments, swimming, fishing and boating activities.

                                                                              The history of Santa Rosa

The city of natural lakes was settled in 1865 and was named for a chapel built by one of the largest landowners, Don Celso Baca, in honor of his mother. The chapel was dedicated to St. Rosa of Lima Parish. The chapel is still standing in Santa Rosa. 

The first newspaper  for Santa Rosa was published on a Friday the 13th in 1901 by E.G. Cooper. The Santa Rosa news is still thriving to this day, along with the Communicator, providing Santa Rosa with the news weekly. 

In the early 1920s a road building program was constructed that put Santa Rosa in the center of a network of highways giving easy access to all travelers.                                                                                                               

                                                                                 The lakes of Santa Rosa 

Santa Rosa is surrounded with lakes. The most popular of these is the Blue Hole. It is a natural artesian spring 81 feet deep, flowing approximately 60 ft wide and pumps out 3000 gallons of water per minute. The Blue Hole averages 60 degrees year-round. It is also the only place in New Mexico to become a certified diver.

Park Lake is another popular lake in Santa Rosa. There is a water slide and also paddle boats to rent if desired. Perch Lake is yet another lake where divers can explore. Submerged beneath the water is a twin plane awaiting curious divers.

Santa Rosa State Park is only a few miles north of the city. Camping sites are also available, along with fishing, hiking and walking trails. The state park is also filled with numerous types of fish such as small mouth bass, large mouth bass, catfish and much more.

                                                                                   For more information

For more information about Santa Rosa visit www.santarosanm.org or call the vistor’s center at (575)-472-3763.