Outdoors
Know the rules before you head outdoors
Hunting, fishing, camping, trails, rivers, wildlife, and winter sports. Check the season, license, access, and safety details before you head out.
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Colorado Porch
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Answers, useful tools, and local notes for every Colorado county and incorporated city or town, with official sources close at hand.
Try Durango, a marriage license, property tax, or a hunting license.
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Home & property
Estimate, plan, and check the property
Estimate property tax and closing costs, then check the districts, water, land, wildfire, and insurance questions tied to the address.
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Find the local layer
Find local offices, practical checks, nearby places, and sourced notes that help a particular corner of Colorado make sense.
Find your placeStories
See what makes a place feel like itself
Rail lines, river names, parks, old industries, festivals, and civic details. Every story is short, local, and sourced.
Open the AlmanacThis month
Colorado dates coming up.
February
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The last day of February
First-half property tax paymentPay in full by April 30, or in two halves — first half by the last day of February, second half by June 15. Your mortgage servicer may pay through escrow, but read the bill and confirm it was paid.
March
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March 1
Fishing and small-game license year beginsThe license year runs March 1 through March 31 of the next year (about 13 months). An annual license bought in spring gives you a full season; one bought in late winter still expires at the end of March.
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Around March 1
Big-game primary draw opensThe primary draw opens around March 1 and closes in early April. If you want a limited tag, you must apply before it closes — there's no buying it later.
April
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Early April
Big-game draw application deadlineThe primary draw opens around March 1 and closes in early April. Miss it and there's no buy-it-later for limited tags — only leftovers, if any remain, starting in early August.
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April 30
Property taxes due in fullPay in full by April 30, or in two halves — first half by the last day of February, second half by June 15. The year you buy is usually prorated at closing.
May
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May 1
Notice of Valuation arrivesCounty assessors mail the Notice of Valuation by May 1. Read your home's actual value — it drives the tax bill — and compare it with what you paid and with similar nearby sales.
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Late May
Big-game draw resultsResults come in late May. If you draw, the rest of the tag price hits the card on file.
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Late May through mid-October
RMNP timed-entry season beginsFrom late May through mid-October, RMNP requires a timed-entry reservation to drive in during the busy daytime hours — on top of the entrance fee. It's per vehicle, booked in advance on Recreation.gov.
June
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The first full weekend of June
Free Fishing DaysOn Free Fishing Days — the first full weekend of June (June 6–7 in 2026) — anyone can fish without a license or Habitat Stamp. All other rules and limits still apply.
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June 1 (2027 and later)
Assessor protest deadlineThe standard real-property protest deadline was June 8 for the 2026 cycle. Starting with later cycles, it is June 1. Some counties use an alternate schedule, so use the date printed on your notice.
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June 15
Second-half property tax paymentPay in full by April 30, or in two halves — first half by the last day of February, second half by June 15. Read the bill and confirm it was paid even if a lender pays through escrow.
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June
Big-game secondary drawThe secondary draw runs in June, for leftover tags. (In 2026, June 18–30.)
July
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July 1
Disabled-veteran and Gold Star spouse exemption deadlineQualifying disabled veterans and Gold Star spouses apply by July 1. It removes 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value; apply through your county assessor.
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July 15
Senior property tax exemption deadlineSeniors who are 65+ and have owned and lived in the home for 10+ years apply by July 15. It removes 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value; apply through your county assessor.
August
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Early August
Leftover and over-the-counter tags on saleLeftover and over-the-counter tags go on sale in early August. Missing April means missing the best tags for the year — leftovers are what remains.
September
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September 1
Dove season opens the bird yearDoves open the bird year on September 1 and need a small-game license plus HIP, but not the duck stamps.
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September 1
Traction Law season beginsThe Traction Law is in effect September 1 – May 31 on the I-70 mountain corridor (Dotsero to Morrison). Under a 2025 update, a two-wheel-drive vehicle must carry chains or an approved traction device the entire season.
October
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October 1
Snowmobile and OHV registration year beginsRegistration runs October 1 – September 30. Those fees fund grooming, maps, signs, safety, and patrols — and even help support the state's avalanche warning system.
From the Almanac
The details that make a place make sense
Short, sourced stories about old rail lines, river names, parks, local institutions, and the pieces of Colorado that are easy to pass without noticing.
- Eastern Plains Near Eads, the Sand Creek Massacre site is sacred ground the National Park Service cares for The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in Kiowa County is a place of mourning for the Cheyenne and Arapaho people, and the National Park Service is the agency that protects and explains it.
- San Luis Valley A steam train climbs out of Antonito and over a 10,000-foot pass The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad runs a coal-fired narrow-gauge steam train 64 miles from Antonito over Cumbres Pass, on a line so intact it was named a National Historic Landmark.
- Mountains Why people call the Arkansas the whitewater rafting capital The Arkansas through Chaffee County is the most commercially rafted river in the United States, and the licensed outfitter trade built around it is a signature part of the local economy.