What’s new for Colorado state recreation lands in 2022
COLORADO (KRDO) -- September is here. For many Coloradans that means it's time to grab your bow or your shotgun and head out into the field.
While Colorado boasts thousands and thousands of acres of federally managed public land, whether that be National Forest, BLM land, or National Grassland, there is also an abundance of state land to hunt, fish, and recreate on.
State land in Colorado, for the most part, falls into one of three categories: state parks, state wildlife areas, and state trust land. While most of us are probably familiar with state parks, state wildlife areas and state trust land might be a different story.
State Wildlife Areas (SWA) are state or privately owned lands that offer state-manged, wildlife-related recreation to the public. Most activities focus on hunting or fishing, but each SWA allows for specific activities based on location and available resources. These parcels of land are paid for by sportspersons and are managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) for the benefit of wildlife. CPW manages about 350 SWAs around the state.
In 2020, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a rule change that requires everyone 16 years and older to possess a valid hunting or fishing license or Colorado State Wildlife Area Pass to be on any part of an SWA. In 2022, several SWAs were given an exemption from this rule. More on that is below.
CPW has an SWA map available online, as well as detailed information on each SWA in the annual Colorado State Recreation Lands brochure.
State Trust Lands (STL) are lands that are leased to CPW for the public to use for wildlife-related activities, namely hunting and fishing. A small number of STLs are also authorized for wildlife viewing. Signs located at the entrance of each property will inform visitors what activities are allowed. Target practice, outfitting, and non-wildlife-related use are prohibited on STLs. Most STLs are open Sept. 1 through the end of Feb., unless otherwise noted. They are closed to public access at all other times of the year.
Everyone 16 years or older must have a valid hunting or fishing license to be on any part of an STL.
CPW has an STL map available online, as well as detailed information on each STL in the annual Colorado State Recreation Lands brochure.
What's New
Every year, regulation changes are made to state lands and new properties are added. Here's a look at what's new with Colorado's state lands in 2022.
As previously mentioned, in 2022, the CPW Commission adopted a rule change that requires everyone 16 years and older to possess a valid hunting or fishing license or Colorado State Wildlife Area Pass to be on any part of an SWA. In 2022, multiple SWAs are now exempt from those access requirements.
According to CPW, the reasons for removing the access requirements were dependent on a variety of factors specific to each property.
The State Wildlife Areas that do not require a valid hunting or fishing license or Colorado State Wildlife Area Pass are:
- Bayfield Lions Club Shooting Range - La Plata County
- Bellaire Lake SWA - Larimer County
- Buena Vista SWA - Chaffee County
- Chesmore SWA - Chaffee County
- Dowdy Lake SWA - Larimer County
- Granby Ranch SWA - Grand County
- Grand Junction: West Lake SWA - Mesa County
- Groundhog Res. SWA - Dolores County
- Home Lake SWA - Rio Grande County
- Horsethief Canyon SWA - Mesa County
- Lake Beckwith SWA - Pueblo County
- Love Meadow Watchable Wildlife Area - Chaffee County
- Narraguinnep Res. SWA - Montezuma County
- North Fork SWA - Larimer County
- Poudre River SWA - Larimer County
- Russell Lakes SWA - Saguache County
- Sawhill Ponds SWA - Boulder County
- Sharptail Ridge SWA - Douglas County
- Shriver-Wright SWA - Rio Grande County
- Storm Mountain Access Road - Larimer County
- West Lake SWA - Larimer County
- Windy Gap Watchable Wildlife Area - Grand County
There have also been several new SWAs added in 2022.
- Bill Patterson SWA - Garfield County
- Cross Canyon SWA - Dolores County
- Eagle Rock SWA - Yuma County
- Hereford Have SWA - Routt County
- Orient Mine SWA - Saguache County
- Willow Creek Reservoir SWA - Grand County
