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 ranges on earth. The northern boundary, along the Red River, sits at the base of a now extinct super volcano known as the Questa Caldera, which is said to have erupted 26 million years ago. The Columbine-Hondo contains the headwaters of the Rio Hondo and Red River, both major tributaries of the upper Rio Grande in northern New Mexico, that provide surface water for the downstream agricultural communities of Valdez, Arroyo Hondo, Arroyo Seco, San Cristobal, and Questa.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | New Mexico |
| Size | 44,372 acres |
| Designated | 2014, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.63° N, 105.50° W |
| 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
None of the 5 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. 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. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedMartinez Fall Rx
29 mi from the center point
- PrescribedWillow Irtc Piles Fall Rx
37 mi from the center point · 411 acres
- PrescribedStone Angel Fall Rx
46 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRito Hondo Piles Rx
47 mi from the center point · 60 acres
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.
Guidebooks for New Mexico
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
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?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.629° N, 105.504° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Columbine-Hondo Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Martinez Fall Rx at 29 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
The National Register has 27 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.