Columbine-Hondo Wilderness
The Columbine-Hondo Wilderness is a wild mountain basin, located in the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains. These mountains were pushed up around 20 million years ago, and are one of the youngest mountain...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | New Mexico |
| Size | 44,372 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 2014, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.6290, -105.5035 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 7 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
19 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 71 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Lobo Peak ↗ | 10.4 | |
| Deer Creek ↗ | 7.1 | |
| Goose Creek ↗ | 5.8 | |
| Columbine Canyon ↗ | 5.3 | |
| San Cristobal ↗ | 4.7 | |
| Placer Fork | 4.4 | |
| Manzanita Canyon | 4 | |
| Yerba Canyon | 4 | |
| Lama Canyon | 3.9 | |
| Gold Hill ↗ | 3.7 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireCorrals
30 mi from the center point · 15 acres
- WildfireMogote Ridge
46 mi from the center point · 152 acres · 90% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 7.2 miTaos Pueblo ↗National Historic Landmark
- 9.3 miLuhan, Mabel Dodge, House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 9.4 miCarson, Kit, House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 9.5 miBlumenschein, Ernest L., House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.2 miMelson-Oldham Cabin ↗Red River, NM
- 0.8 miMallette, Sylvester M., Cabin ↗Red River, NM
- 0.8 miRed River Schoolhouse ↗Red River, NM
- 0.8 miYoung, Brigham J., House ↗Red River, NM
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
44,372 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Columbine-Hondo Wilderness in?
New Mexico.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Columbine-Hondo Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2014.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Columbine Campground, 0.1 miles out. 7 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.629, -105.504. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Columbine-Hondo Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Corrals at 30 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
27 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Taos Pueblo and Luhan, Mabel Dodge, House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.