Tag
state wildlife area
37 Porch Notes tagged “state wildlife area,” from counties across Colorado.
Outdoors and wildfire - Clear Creek County
The Georgetown bighorn herd is easy to watch from the highway
A well-known herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep lives on the slopes between Georgetown and Silver Plume, but the Georgetown State Wildlife Area that protects them has seasonal access limits.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Yuma County
Bird hunting in Yuma County runs on access programs, not open land
Most of Yuma County is private farmland, so public bird hunting here happens through state wildlife areas and the Walk-In Access program, each with its own rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Custer County
DeWeese Reservoir near Westcliffe is a favorite Wet Mountain Valley fishing spot
DeWeese Reservoir is a beloved Custer County fishing and wildlife-watching spot near Westcliffe, managed as a State Wildlife Area where one easy thing to grab before you go is a license or SWA pass.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Lincoln County
Hugo State Wildlife Area is for hunting and fishing, not a city park
The Hugo State Wildlife Area south of Hugo is managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and visitors 16 or older need a license or a pass to be there.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Washington County
Prewitt Reservoir is a State Wildlife Area, not a state park
Prewitt Reservoir on the Washington County line is a State Wildlife Area, so most visitors age 16 and up need a hunting or fishing license or an SWA pass to be there.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Kiowa County
Queens State Wildlife Area near Eads is for hunting and fishing, with its own pass rules
Queens State Wildlife Area and its Great Plains reservoirs in Kiowa County are managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and visitors generally need a license or a State Wildlife Area pass.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Clear Creek County
Fishing rules in Clear Creek country change by the water
Fishing along Clear Creek and nearby state wildlife areas follows state rules that can differ by stretch of water, so it pays to check before you cast.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Baca County
Two Buttes is a State Wildlife Area, not a state park
Two Buttes Reservoir near Baca County is a Colorado State Wildlife Area, which means access depends on a license or pass and conditions can change with the water.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Archuleta County
Williams Creek Reservoir is a wildlife area, not a state park
Williams Creek Reservoir, reached up the Piedra Road country north of Pagosa Springs, sits just across the line in Hinsdale County and is a State Wildlife Area, so access follows hunting and fishing rules rather than state park rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Prowers County
A State Wildlife Area in Prowers County is not the same as a park
State Wildlife Areas in Prowers County have their own access rules and generally require a hunting or fishing license or an SWA pass to enter.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Hinsdale County
Fishing rules around Lake City change from one water to the next
The Lake Fork of the Gunnison, Lake San Cristobal, and the small creeks near Lake City can each carry their own fishing rules, so check by water.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Kit Carson County
Public bird hunting here runs through walk-in access and state wildlife areas
In Kit Carson County, much public bird hunting happens on Walk-In Access fields and at spots like Flagler Reservoir State Wildlife Area, each with its own rules for who may enter.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Dolores County
Forest, state wildlife areas, and a pass: knowing whose land you're on near Dolores County
The high country of eastern Dolores County is national forest, with some lakes and reservoirs that are state wildlife areas needing a simple access pass or license.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Logan County
Prewitt and Jumbo are wildlife areas, not parks — access works differently
Logan County's State Wildlife Areas like Prewitt and Jumbo reservoirs are managed for hunting and fishing, so visitors 16 and older generally need a hunting or fishing license or a Colorado SWA Pass.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Ouray County
Billy Creek is a wildlife area, not a park, with a seasonal closure
Billy Creek State Wildlife Area along the Uncompahgre corridor is managed for wildlife, so most of it closes part of the year and a license or SWA pass is required to enter.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Yuma County
Bonny is now a wildlife area, and the lake is much smaller than the maps show
The old Bonny Lake State Park on the Republican River became South Republican State Wildlife Area, so the rules and the reservoir itself are not what older maps suggest.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Garfield County
Garfield Creek State Wildlife Area protects elk and closes in winter
Garfield Creek State Wildlife Area south of New Castle is elk winter range, so it closes to the public for much of the year and requires a license or wildlife-area pass to enter.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Sedgwick County
Jumbo Reservoir near Julesburg is a State Wildlife Area, not a park
The plains reservoir west of Julesburg, near Crook, is managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife as a State Wildlife Area, which carries its own access and pass rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Rio Grande County
The Rio Grande State Wildlife Area near Monte Vista: a quiet, birdy river stretch with a season and a pass
The Rio Grande State Wildlife Area near Monte Vista is a peaceful riverside spot for birds and wildlife. It is open part of the year and needs a license or SWA pass, both easy to plan for once you know.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - La Plata County
Bodo State Wildlife Area is winter range, not a city park
Bodo State Wildlife Area just outside Durango is managed for deer and elk, needs a hunting or fishing license or SWA pass to enter, and closes to the public in winter.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Elbert County
Jumping Cow is a state wildlife area, not a county park
Jumping Cow State Wildlife Area in Elbert County is a limited-access property managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, with access rules very different from a public park.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Eagle County
The Eagle River SWA fishing leases are public access, not a park
The Eagle River State Wildlife Area is a set of leased fishing-access stretches with its own rules, including a license or SWA pass requirement and posted designated areas.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Prowers County
Two Buttes Reservoir rises and falls with the rain
Two Buttes Reservoir, in the State Wildlife Area south of Lamar, depends on heavy rain to fill, so its water level and fishing can change a lot from year to year.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Phillips County
A Phillips County state wildlife area is not a park
State wildlife areas in and around Phillips County are managed for hunting and fishing access and now require a license or pass to enter, unlike a public park.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Gunnison County
Almont Triangle is a wildlife area, not a park, and closes in winter
The Almont Triangle State Wildlife Area near Gunnison needs a license or SWA pass to enter and closes to the public each winter to protect wintering big game.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Cheyenne County
Hunting access in Cheyenne County is mostly about private land and access programs
Cheyenne County has little federal public land, so upland bird hunters here often rely on state access programs like Walk-In Access and State Wildlife Areas, each with its own rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Grand County
Kemp-Breeze and Hot Sulphur Springs are wildlife areas, not parks
Grand County's State Wildlife Areas along the Colorado River give fishing access, but they require a license or SWA pass and follow their own rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Alamosa County
San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area: open water and great birding
San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area north of Alamosa offers open water and wetlands for excellent waterfowl watching, with a few simple rules to plan around: an access pass, a seasonal nesting closure, and boating limits.
Read note ->Water and land - Costilla County
Sanchez Reservoir is a warm-water fishing spot, open only for fishing
Sanchez Reservoir State Wildlife Area south of San Luis offers warm-water fishing and a boat ramp, but public access is limited to fishing and needs a license or SWA pass.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Sedgwick County
Sedgwick Bar State Wildlife Area sits right on the South Platte River
This riverside State Wildlife Area in Sedgwick County offers fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing along the South Platte, but it runs on State Wildlife Area rules, not park rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Logan County
Tamarack Ranch is Logan County's riverside wildlife area
Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area takes in a long stretch of the South Platte River corridor east of Sterling, open for wildlife viewing, hunting, and fishing under Colorado Parks and Wildlife rules.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Montezuma County
The Dolores River State Wildlife Area is not a park
Along the Dolores River, a State Wildlife Area offers fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing, but it is managed for wildlife and adults need a license or SWA pass to be there.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Fremont County
Beaver Creek near Penrose is rugged canyon country with bighorn sheep
The Beaver Creek canyons northeast of Cañon City include a BLM wilderness study area and a state wildlife area near Penrose, with wildlife that includes Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Costilla County
Mountain Home Reservoir is a stocked-trout lake with camping
Mountain Home Reservoir State Wildlife Area east of Fort Garland is an irrigation lake stocked with trout in summer and open to ice fishing in winter, with designated camping.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Costilla County
Smith Reservoir is a fishing lake, and boats face inspection rules
Smith Reservoir State Wildlife Area near Blanca is a fishing spot where, as on Colorado waters generally, motorboats and sailboats must be registered, carry an ANS stamp, and meet aquatic nuisance species inspection requirements.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Pueblo County
State Wildlife Areas near Pueblo are not the same as parks
Lake Pueblo SWA and Runyon/Fountain Lakes SWA offer fishing and wildlife recreation near Pueblo, but they require a hunting or fishing license or an SWA pass, not just a parks pass.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire - Saguache County
San Luis Lakes is a State Wildlife Area, not a state park
San Luis Lakes is now a Colorado Parks and Wildlife State Wildlife Area with license or SWA-pass rules for most adult visitors.
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