Columbine-Hondo Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
847 acres1.5 mi of trail
San Cristobal Canyon Trail #78
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: It'sOnlyMakeBelieve · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in San Cristobal
More than half of San Cristobal’s land is conserved: 80%
80% of San Cristobal’s land is conserved, about 3,500 acres. The biggest trail networks: Columbine-Hondo Wilderness (1.5 mi), Carson National Forest (0.9 mi). 2.4 miles of mapped trail cross San Cristobal, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
80%
3,500 acres · of 6.9 sq mi of land
Trails
2.4 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 Columbine-Hondo Wilderness, with 1.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Carson National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
3,424 acres0.9 mi of trail
Camino del Medio
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the trailhead
Who protects it
3,500 conserved acres
80% of San Cristobal’s land. Who manages San Cristobal’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service3,424 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits78 ac
National Forest · 3,424 acUnknown Easement · 78 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 76 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carson National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 3,424 | Open |
Trails & water
2 named trails
Named trails
Horses · 1.6 mi
San Cristobal Canyon Trail #781.6 mi
Camino del Medio0.9 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in San Cristobal: April to 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) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 43 | 52 | 60 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 63 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
January is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 2.2 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in San Cristobal →
Questions about parks and trails in San Cristobal
Where can I hike in San Cristobal?
The longest trail networks: Columbine-Hondo Wilderness, 1.5 miles; Carson National Forest, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on San Cristobal’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness and Carson National Forest. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near San Cristobal?
59,018 acres of parks and open public land lie inside San Cristobal or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,666 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from San Cristobal 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 →