Photo Credit: Good Bull Outdoors

Earlier this week Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) announced the locations of state trust lands now accessible to hunters and anglers across the state of Colorado. This is the first round of expansions that we will see to the Public Access Program, and is part of a multi-year commitment made in July of this year by CPW and the Colorado Land Board to expand public access on state trust lands for hunting and fishing from 480,000 acres to 1 million acres.

To help celebrate this announcement the Colorado Chapter of BHA hosted an event in Denver featuring Dan Gibbs - Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources, Bill Ryan – Director of the Colorado Land Board, Brad Henley – SE Deputy Regional Manager of CPW, and Liz Rose - MENV Graduate Student and BHA's state trust land lead this last year. Speakers shared information on the properties being enrolled into the Public Access Program, answered questions, and discussed the current efforts to continue the expansion of the Public Access Program. The Colorado Chapter of BHA would like to thank everyone who made this possible. This took years of hard work on behalf of many dedicated partners and individuals, including our new CPW Director Dan Prenzlow. Thank You!

The timing of this expansion is great news for hunters and anglers everywhere. Not only does it come in time for the hunting season, but it shows how hard CPW and the Colorado Land Board have been working to identify and enroll properties into the Public Access Program.  Colorado BHA will now begin working with CPW staff and the state land board to identify the next 400,000 acres for public access enrollment.

Access is one of the most important issues facing hunters and anglers today. The lack of access is the #1 reason hunters and anglers give up our hunting heritage. The properties that CPW has enrolled into the Public Access Program will provide important access and needed opportunities to support our hunting heritage now and into the future.

The Properties: Below are the newly enrolled Public Access Program properties. You can also find them on the CPW Hunting Atlas. If you plan to hunt or fish these properties in the coming weeks please contact the appropriate CPW regional office to confirm what rules and regulations apply. CPW is working to update the Colorado Recreation Lands Brochure with information on each of these properties so stay tuned. Many properties enrolled in the Public Access Program are working ranches. Please leave gates as you found them, don’t harass livestock, and please keep your vehicle on designated roadways and parking lots. We’re fortunate to have this access, the best way to protect it is for us to be good stewards and to take care of our new public lands. 

Blue Lake - 41,564 acres - Arlington, CO (Southeast Regional Office)

GMU: 125

Hunting Public Access Period: September 1st – End of February

Fishing Public Access Period: Year around at Adobe Creek Reservoir and outlet stream

Queens - 9,020 acres - Eads, CO (Southeast Regional Office)

GMU: 127

Hunting Public Access Period: September 1st – End of February

Per CPW Queens SWA regulations

Pawnee Valley - 2,720 acres - Sterling, CO (Northeast Regional Office)

GMU: 89

Hunting Public Access Period: September 1st – End of February

Brett Gray Ranch - 23,878 acres - Rush, CO (Southeast Regional Office)

GMU: 119

Hunting Public Access Period: (Open September 1 for dove hunting. CPW expects additional hunting opportunities will be available later this fall.)

We will be updating our blog with information on new properties as they become available. Stay tuned and in the meantime, enjoy your new public lands!