Rattlesnake Canyon Wildlife Area
Managed by BLM_FFO
3,790 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Navajo Dam
More than half of Navajo Dam’s land is conserved: 72%
72% of Navajo Dam’s land is conserved, about 5,544 acres. The biggest trail networks: Rattlesnake Canyon Wildlife Area (1.5 mi), Simon Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern (0.9 mi), Gobernador Wash Riparian Area (0.9 mi). 2,754 acres are parks and preserves, 10,239 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
72%
5,544 acres · of 12.1 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,754 ac
10,239 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
61%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Rattlesnake Canyon Wildlife Area, with 1.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Simon Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Nature preserve
102 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Gobernador Wash Riparian Area
Managed by BLM_FFO
49 acres0.9 mi of trail
Navajo Lake Trails
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Old Road River Tract
Managed by BLM_FFO
32 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Rattlesnake Canyon Wildlife Area3,790 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · BLM_FFO
DirectionsSimon Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern102 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsGobernador Wash Riparian Area49 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · BLM_FFO
Old Road River Tract32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · BLM_FFO
Simon Canyon Riparian Area3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · BLM_FFO
DirectionsArchuleta River Tract (River Tracts)28 acres · BLM_FFO
Who protects it
5,544 conserved acres
72% of Navajo Dam’s land. Water is left out: Navajo Dam has 12.1 square miles of land and 1.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Navajo Dam’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks2,864 ac
Bureau of Land Management1,512 ac
State land board1,241 ac
Bureau of Reclamation53 ac
State Park · 2,864 acNational Public Lands · 1,512 acState Resource Management Area · 1,241 acFederal Other or Unknown · 53 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 4 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navajo Lake State Park State Park | State parks | 2,864 | Open |
| Farmington Field Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 1,512 | Open |
| State Trust Land State Resource Management Area | State land board | 1,241 | Open |
| Usbr Federal Other or Unknown | Bureau of Reclamation | 53 | Unknown |
Things to do
4 places to go in Navajo Dam
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Navajo Dam
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Navajo Dam
Cottonwood Campground
DirectionsNavajo Lake State Park - Pine Campground
DirectionsPine Cedar
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Navajo Lake Trails2.2 mi
Simon Canyon Foot Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Navajo Dam: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.7 | 14.4 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 48 | 58 | 66 | 75 | 87 | 91 | 88 | 80 | 68 | 54 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
June is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 91 °F). 1.5 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 91 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Navajo Dam →
Next door
Navajo Dam and its neighbors
Navajo Dam has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navajo Dam | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Blanco | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Navajo Dam
Where can I hike in Navajo Dam?
The longest trail networks: Rattlesnake Canyon Wildlife Area, 1.5 miles; Simon Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern, 0.9 miles; Gobernador Wash Riparian Area, 0.9 miles; Old Road River Tract, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Navajo Dam’s trails?
Rattlesnake Canyon Wildlife Area and Simon Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Navajo Dam?
268,907 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Navajo Dam or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,355 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Navajo Dam neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →