Colorado Parks and Wildlife is offering free entry to all state parks on August 4th to celebrate Colorado Day and the state’s 149th birthday. The state celebrates Colorado Day on the first of August, though the state parks celebrate with free entrance on the first Monday of August.
Visitors will be able to celebrate they state’s 149th birthday by immersing themselves in the beauty of Colorado’s many state parks. While the parks will waive entrance fees, visitors are still required to pay other park fees including camping reservations, boat and off-highway vehicle registrations, and hunting and fishing licenses. All state park visitors are encouraged to act as stewards of the land, wildlife, and water.
What To Know Before You Visit The Free State Parks
Colorado Parks and Wildlife encourages visitors to plan their visit ahead of time. The state offers several resources to do so. The State Parks Guide offers a wide range of information on every state park, while the State Park finder allows you to find the closes park to you. The free COTREX App provides trail maps and allows you to customize your adventure, while the CPW Events page helps find fun events going on throughout the state. Make sure to check out the events going on as a part of Celebrate Colorado Week this weekend.
Colorado State Park Safety
Colorado Parks and Wildlife encourages and requires visitors to follow several guidelines and restrictions when visiting the state’s many state parks, including on free state parks day. These range from water safety restrictions to fire guidelines.
Water Safety
- Wear a life jacket and put one on your pets. Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers loaner life jackets at many reservoirs and lakes.
- Life jacket requirements apply to kayaks and paddleboards
- Only head out onto the water in conditions in which you’re comfortable and confident paddling in.
- Make sure your vessel is clean, drained, and dry to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species.
Fire Guidelines
- Check for fire restrictions or bans here, and stay up to date on wildfire alerts through the COTREX app.
- Drown and stir all fires with water until the embers are cool to the touch, and never leave a fire unattended.
- Avoid parking or driving on dry grass.
- Check to make sure your car doens’t have anything dragging or creating sparks.
Keep Wildlife Wild
- Do not feed or approach wildlife.
- Remain bear aware at all times on trails.
- Only bring dogs on dog-friendly trails and always keep them leashed.
