Charles E. Baker State Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
988 acres3.8 mi of trail
Horse Trail 14Horse Trail 58Horse Trail 16Horse Trail 15
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Columbus Community Church · Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, New York, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Columbus
Few parks or trails are on the map in Columbus
The biggest trail networks: Charles E. Baker State Forest (3.8 mi). 6% of Columbus’ land is conserved, about 1,484 acres. 1,450 acres are parks and preserves, 1,708 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
6%
1,484 acres · of 37.4 sq mi of land
Trails
4.3 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,450 ac
1,708 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
14%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,762 ft
Columbus Hill
Lakes & rivers
2
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 Charles E. Baker State Forest, with 3.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Skinner Hill State Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
443 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
1,484 conserved acres
6% of Columbus’ land. Who manages Columbus’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation1,441 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)43 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,441 acConservation Easement · 43 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles E. Baker State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 995 | Open |
| Skinner Hill State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 447 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Columbus
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Columbus
Columbus Hill1,762 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 3.6 mi
Horse Trail 141.7 mi
Horse Trail 580.8 mi
Horse Trail 160.6 mi
Horse Trail 150.6 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Columbus Community ChurchBuilding · listed 1986
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Columbus: May and September
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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 32 | 41 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 58 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Columbus →
Next door
Columbus and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Edmeston | 2% | under 0.1 | 26 | 18% | C |
| Pittsfield | 3% | 0.1 | 374 | 10% | C+ |
| Sherburne | 6% | 0.1 | 227 | 50% | B |
| Brookfield | 24% | 0.8 | 5,640 | 30% | A |
| New Berlin | 11% | under 0.1 | 1,172 | 57% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Columbus
Where can I hike in Columbus?
The longest trail networks: Charles E. Baker State Forest, 3.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Columbus’ trails?
Charles E. Baker State Forest and Skinner Hill State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Columbus?
27,013 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Columbus or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,450 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Columbus 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 →