Rio Gallina
- 7.5 mi
- round trip
- 1,211 ft
- climb
- 9,481 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jul, Sep
- best months
Is Rio Gallina open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Santa Fe National Forest.
Road Conditions
Agency alert covering Santa Fe National Forest · USFS · Santa Fe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Santa Fe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Rio Gallina is a hard hike in the Coyote Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest in northern New Mexico, about 7.5 miles long with a one-way elevation gain of 1,211 feet. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and is rated hard, so plan for a steady climb from the low point at about 8,300 feet to the high point near 9,500 feet. The trail is natural-surface and allows horses, but bikes are not permitted. That makes it a good fit for riders on horseback or for hikers who want to move at their own pace. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Wolf Canyon weather station, about 16 miles away, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 44°F, while winter brings highs in the upper 30s and regular snow days from December through February. Several other hikes sit within a few miles. River Trail is about 1.7 miles away, Pelones about 2.2 miles, Upper Gallina about 2.5 miles, and San Jose about 2.8 miles.
- River TrailHiking1.7 mi
- PelonesHiking2.2 mi
- Upper GallinaHiking2.5 mi
- San JoseHiking2.8 mi
- CeciliaHiking3.2 mi
- Las Vacas Trail (51)Hiking4.1 mi
- Old Cecelia TrailHiking4.1 mi
- Penas Negras Trail (32)Hiking4.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- River TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- PelonesHiking · ~4 min drive
- Upper GallinaHiking · ~4 min drive
- Las Vacas Trail (51)Hiking · ~7 min drive
- CeciliaHiking · ~6 min drive
- Old Cecelia TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Penas Negras Trail (32)Hiking · ~8 min drive
- Rio Capulin Trail (31)Hiking · ~9 min drive
- Vega RedondaHiking · ~11 min drive
- AnastacioHiking · ~9 min drive
Best time to visit Rio Gallina
Best months: May–July and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
38° / 9°
7 wet · 7 snow
Feb
40° / 13°
6 wet · 6 snow
Mar
48° / 19°
6 wet · 5 snow
Apr
56° / 24°
5 wet · 3 snow
May
65° / 30°
5 wet · 1 snow
Jun
75° / 37°
5 wet
Jul
77° / 44°
12 wet
Aug
75° / 43°
13 wet
Sep
69° / 36°
8 wet
Oct
59° / 27°
6 wet · 1 snow
Nov
47° / 18°
5 wet · 4 snow
Dec
38° / 10°
7 wet · 7 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Wolf Canyon, NM, 16.6 mi away at 8,220 ft. The station sits about 1,300 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
