Topic
Outdoors and wildfire
Hunting and fishing rules, trails, rivers, camping, winter sports, dark skies, and wildfire risk and defensible space — the public-land side of Colorado life.
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Local notes
More outdoors and wildfire notes
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Outdoors and wildfire
The Rio Grande's Gold Medal trout run between South Fork and Del Norte
A long stretch of the Rio Grande between South Fork and Del Norte carries Colorado's Gold Medal designation for trophy trout, fished with flies and lures only.
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The Roaring Fork Valley is black bear country, so trash is the main issue
Aspen and the surrounding valley sit in prime black bear habitat, and the simplest way to avoid conflicts is keeping trash and food where bears cannot reach them.
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The South San Juan Wilderness fills the wild western edge of Conejos County
The South San Juan Wilderness covers much of western Conejos County, and as designated wilderness it allows foot and horse travel but no bikes or motorized vehicles.
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The Telluride Via Ferrata, a free cabled route across the box canyon
A free, locally maintained cliff route below Ajax Peak that asks for real respect and offers a long traverse high above the box canyon floor.
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The Uncompahgre Wilderness holds two San Juan 14ers above Lake City
Uncompahgre Peak and Wetterhorn Peak rise inside the Uncompahgre Wilderness west of Lake City, where wilderness rules apply and the trailheads sit at the end of rough roads.
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The young Colorado River winds through the Kawuneeche Valley near Grand Lake
The Kawuneeche Valley on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park holds the young Colorado River and trails to old mining sites.
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Treasure Falls drops 105 feet on the climb up Wolf Creek Pass
Treasure Falls is a tall cascade on Fall Creek about 15 miles northeast of Pagosa Springs, just over the line in Mineral County, with a short but steep climb to its base off US 160.
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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.
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Watch Yellowstone-descended bison from the I-70 overlook at Genesee
Genesee Park keeps a small bison herd descended from Yellowstone stock, viewable free from overlooks just off I-70 west of Denver.
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Zapata Falls: a short hike, a rough road, and slick rocks
Zapata Falls is a waterfall tucked in the Sangre de Cristo foothills south of the Great Sand Dunes, reached by a rough gravel road and a short hike that ends with wading over slippery rocks.
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Sand Canyon and Rock Creek trails keep you on the route
West of Cortez in Canyons of the Ancients, the Sand Canyon and Rock Creek trails are open to hiking, biking, and horses, but travel is restricted to the designated routes.
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The 416 Fire burn scar still shapes flood risk north of Durango
The 2018 416 Fire burned tens of thousands of acres in the Hermosa Creek area north of Durango, and the burn scar can send fast debris-laden floods down drainages during heavy rain.
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The Conejos River carries special fishing rules, not the statewide default
Parts of the Conejos River are managed with artificial-flies-only and a small, large-size trout limit, so the rules differ from general Colorado fishing and change by stretch of river.
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Winter backcountry around Aspen falls in the CAIC Aspen avalanche zone
The mountains around Aspen are avalanche terrain in winter, and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center publishes a daily Aspen-zone forecast worth checking before you go out.
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A Phillips County state wildlife area is not a park
Frenchman Creek is a wildlife area rather than a city park, with an entry credential for most visitors 16 and older and property-specific rules.
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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.
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At Florissant Fossil Beds, the fossils stay where they are
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Teller County protects ancient fossils and petrified stumps, and collecting or removing them there is not allowed.
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At Sweitzer Lake near Delta, the fish carry selenium and are not for eating
Sweitzer Lake State Park sits just outside the city of Delta and is fished catch-and-release because the fish contain selenium and are not safe to eat.
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Black Canyon and Curecanti are certified dark-sky parks
Both Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area are certified International Dark Sky Parks, so the night sky is part of what they protect.
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Black Canyon's night sky is dark enough to be certified
Black Canyon of the Gunnison near Montrose is a certified International Dark Sky Park, so the National Park Service keeps it open at night for stargazing under simple low-light rules.
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Conundrum Hot Springs is a long hike that needs a permit and a bear canister
The natural hot springs at Conundrum Creek sit deep in the wilderness south of Aspen, and reaching them overnight requires an advance permit and a bear canister.
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Crawford and Paonia State Parks each center on a reservoir with boat-inspection rules
Crawford State Park near Crawford and Paonia State Park on Muddy Creek northeast of Paonia each center on a reservoir, and motorized boats must pass an aquatic nuisance species inspection before launching.
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Dispersed camping up the Poudre is not camp-anywhere
Free dispersed camping is allowed on much of the national forest along the Poudre, but the Canyon Lakes Ranger District sets real limits on how close to roads, water, and busy areas you can camp.
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East Portal and the Moffat Tunnel: Gilpin County's gateway to the high trails
The East Portal Trailhead at the Moffat Tunnel, reached by a gravel county road from Rollinsville, is the main way into the James Peak Wilderness from Gilpin County.
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