Santa Fe National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
4,494 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Ponderosa
More than half of Ponderosa’s land is conserved: 83%
83% of Ponderosa’s land is conserved, about 4,823 acres. The biggest trail networks: Santa Fe National Forest (2.8 mi). 3.0 miles of mapped trail cross Ponderosa, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
83%
4,823 acres · of 9.1 sq mi of land
Trails
3.0 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
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 Santa Fe National Forest, with 2.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
4,823 conserved acres
83% of Ponderosa’s land. Who manages Ponderosa’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service4,495 ac
State land board335 ac
National Forest · 4,495 acState Resource Management Area · 335 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 4,495 | Open |
| State Trust Land State Resource Management Area | State land board | 335 | Open |
When to get out
The best walking months in Ponderosa: April to June and August
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) | 10.0 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.6 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 44 | 49 | 57 | 65 | 74 | 85 | 87 | 84 | 78 | 67 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
February is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 2.6 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Ponderosa →
Questions about parks and trails in Ponderosa
Where can I hike in Ponderosa?
The longest trail networks: Santa Fe National Forest, 2.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Ponderosa’s trails?
Santa Fe National Forest doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ponderosa?
97,572 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ponderosa or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,850 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ponderosa 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 →