| Rio Bonito | |
| Name Etymology: | Beautiful river |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | New Mexico |
| Subdivision Type4: | Counties |
| Subdivision Name4: | Lincoln |
| Length: | 44 miles |
| Source1: | Sierra Blanca Mountains |
| Source1 Location: | Lincoln County |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 33.4158°N -105.8211°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 3002m (9,849feet) |
| Mouth: | Rio Hondo (New Mexico) |
| Mouth Location: | Hondo, New Mexico |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 33.3817°N -105.2714°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 1615m (5,299feet) |
| River System: | Pecos |
The Rio Bonito is a small river in the Sierra Blanca mountains of southern New Mexico, United States. The headwaters of the river start in the Lincoln National Forest on the slopes of Sierra Blanca and travel eastward until they merge with the south fork of the Rio Bonito just west of Bonito Lake, a man-made reservoir. After passing through the reservoir, the river continues in a generally eastward direction passing alongside the historic Fort Stanton and the home of Billy the Kid, Lincoln, New Mexico. The Rio Bonito merges 10miles past Lincoln with the Rio Ruidoso in the town of Hondo, New Mexico where the two rivers join to form the Rio Hondo which then flows towards the Pecos River, though not reaching the Pecos except during floods.
Several fish species live within the waters of the Rio Ruidoso, including:[1]