Colorado Porch

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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

451 sourced notes in this topic

Outdoors and wildfire

Check the avalanche forecast before winter travel near Wolf Creek Pass

The high terrain around Wolf Creek Pass gets heavy snow and slides, and it falls within the Colorado Avalanche Information Center's Southern San Juan forecast zone, which winter backcountry users should read before heading out.

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Outdoors and wildfire

South Colony Road climbs to the high peaks south of Westcliffe

The main Custer County approach to Humboldt Peak and the Crestones runs up Colfax Lane to South Colony Road, where the upper miles need four-wheel drive.

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Outdoors and wildfire

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.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Around Granby and the Fraser, the fishing rules change water by water

Grand County has many rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, and the fishing rules can differ from one stretch of water to the next.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Around Telluride, dispersed camping has rules that change by agency

Public land near Telluride is managed by the Forest Service and BLM, and dispersed camping rules differ by unit, so 'camp anywhere' is not the rule.

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Outdoors and wildfire

At Sandstone Ranch near Larkspur, three trail loops trade meadow for red rock and forest

Sandstone Ranch Open Space near Larkspur is a free Douglas County property where three stacked loops carry walkers, riders, and bikers from hay meadows up into red rock and ponderosa pine.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Baca National Wildlife Refuge: quiet wetlands and wildlife below the Sangres

The Baca National Wildlife Refuge sits below the Sangre de Cristo range near Crestone, a quiet spot for wildlife watching where access follows refuge rules worth checking before you go.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Bird hunting in Yuma County runs on access programs, not open land

Most Yuma County land is private. Public bird hunting uses state wildlife areas and enrolled Walk-In Access parcels, each with its own rules.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Black Canyon of the Gunnison sits right at Montrose's doorstep

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is just outside Montrose, and the National Park Service is the place to check entrance fees, road and rim status, and inner-canyon rules before a visit.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Blanca Peak and the rough road to Lake Como

Blanca Peak rises on Alamosa County's eastern edge, and the Forest Service describes the jeep road to its Lake Como trailhead as extremely rough and rocky, so most people walk it.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is built into the mountainside

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs climbs the flank of its namesake mountain, and it bills itself as America's only mountain zoo.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Delta County is ringed by public land, and the rules change with the unit

National forest and BLM lands, including a national conservation area, surround much of Delta County, with a national park nearby, and each manages camping and access under its own rules.

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Outdoors and wildfire

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.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Dispersed camping on the Pikes Peak Ranger District has rules

The Pike National Forest land around Pikes Peak is managed by the Pikes Peak Ranger District, and dispersed camping there follows posted limits, not a camp-anywhere rule.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Dispersed camping on the Salida district has real limits

Free dispersed camping on the Salida Ranger District around Chaffee County comes with a stay limit, a buffer from water, and a move toward designated sites.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Each winter, snow geese rest on the plains near Lamar

Prowers County's reservoirs and grain fields near Lamar are a winter stop on the Central Flyway, where flocks of snow geese roost and feed during migration.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Eldorado Canyon State Park: a tight canyon with a weekend entry plan

Eldorado Canyon State Park near Boulder is a small, busy canyon known for sandstone climbing and creek fishing, and it uses timed vehicle entry on summer weekends.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Fishing rules on the Blue River change from one stretch to the next

The Blue River runs the length of Summit County and carries special fishing rules and quality-water designations that differ by segment, so the regulation for your exact spot is what counts.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Fishing the upper Rio Grande near Creede follows the water's own rules

The upper Rio Grande through Mineral County is a well-known trout fishery, but rules and access change by river segment, so check the regulations for the stretch you plan to fish.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Four Mountains, One Lift Ticket Above Aspen

Aspen Snowmass is four very different ski mountains on a single lift ticket, with free shuttles between them, so you can match the hill to your level.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Glenwood's Grand Pool: a soak the length of a city block and a half

Glenwood Hot Springs Resort's Grand Pool has been Garfield County's signature soak since 1888 — about 405 feet of mineral water kept near 90 degrees.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Golden Gate Canyon State Park is a Gilpin County doorstep, not just a destination

Golden Gate Canyon State Park straddles the Gilpin and Jefferson County line and is close to southern Gilpin County, with state-park access rules.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Golden Gate Canyon State Park sits in the hills northwest of Golden

Golden Gate Canyon State Park offers foothills camping, cabins, fishing ponds, and trails, with current entry-pass details on the CPW park page.

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Outdoors and wildfire

Grays and Torreys are two 14ers reached by one rough road

Grays and Torreys Peaks, a pair of 14,000-foot summits on the Continental Divide, are climbed from the Stevens Gulch trailhead reached by a rough road from Bakerville off I-70.

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