COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE

Outdoor skills to master this fall: discover expert tips on how to recreate responsibly

• Plan your visit with the Colorado State Parks Guide (el folleto de parques en Español).
• Use the Park Finder Tool to see a Colorado state park map.
• Camping reservations at Colorado state parks are required. 
• Find park events, classes and festivals on the CPW Events Calendar. 
• Read the 2023 Colorado State Recreation Lands Brochure to find changes for permitted activities in state wildlife areas. 
• Plan your outdoor adventure based on the weather forecast and your skill level. If the area you want to explore has bad weather or appears too complicated, help yourself and our outdoor first responders by changing your outdoor plan to avoid hazardous conditions. 
• Have a backup plan if your desired trailhead, park or location is crowded or closed.

• Wear a life jacket​. The majority of fatalities occur because people don’t wear a life jacket. 
• Protect your​self from the dangers of cold-water shock. Regardless of your age or experience level, cold water can quickly create a drowning emergency.
• Paddle boards and kayaks are considered vessels, and life jacket requirements apply. 
• Get a safety inspection of your vessel.
• Boat sober. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths. 
• Help prevent the spread of Aquatic Nuisance Species by keeping your vessel clean, drained and dry. 
• Check out the map of Statewide Watercraft Inspection and Decontamination Sites​​​​​​ in Colorado.

• Download the COTREX app to discover Colorado’s expansive network of trails. 
• Show you care for Colorado by not driving or walking over plants, flowers, rocks or streams. 

• Colorado’s trees provide beautiful leaf-peeping photos, shade and oxygen. Help keep them thriving by not carving into them or pulling down branches that may kill or disfigure them.
• Avoid stacking rocks because they play an essential role in stabilizing and protecting the erosion of trails. 

• Pack it in, pack it out. Whatever you bring into the outdoors, take it out with you. 
• Remove makeshift toilets from hunting camps that contain human waste, dog waste, toilet paper, trash or leftover camping gear. 
• Don't leave a pet waste baggie on the trail even if you mean to pick it up on your way out. People forget that pet waste is not just unsightly but disruptive to wildlife. Do not hang waste on trees or put waste bags in toilets. 
• Bring plastic grocery bags to carry trash when trash cans are not available or full. 

• Protect yourself and your loved ones from potential wildlife conflicts by watching and photographing wild animals from a safe distance to avoid startling them or forcing them to flee. 
• Keep dogs leashed when enjoying dog-friendly trails to help prevent moose attacks, causing wild animals to flee, or get aggressive. 
• Do not feed or approach young wildlife.
• During fall, bears eat more calories before hibernation and may be more active on trails and venture into urban areas looking for food. Help reduce human-bear conflicts, bear-proof your home and be bear aware on trails. 
• Elk are in a rut during the fall, so give them space and do not approach them because they can get territorial and attack when they feel threatened. 
• If you see wildlife that appears sick or injured, leave it alone. Call a Colorado Parks and Wildlife office and consult a trained wildlife officer for guidance. 
• Take down hammocks, outdoor ropes and other tangle hazards from your yard that may impact wildlife as they migrate this fall. 

• Check fire restrictions or bans at www.coemergency.com.
• Use designated campfire areas when allowed and available. 
• Keep campfires small and manageable.
• Put fires out with water until you can touch the embers.
• Never leave a campfire unattended. 
• Avoid parking or driving on dry grass. Check your tire pressure and if chains or exposed wheel rims are dragging from your vehicle that may create sparks. 

• Please respect our natural resources, park staff, volunteers and fellow recreationists out searching for Colorado gold this fall. 
• Be mindful of your group's noise level so everyone can appreciate our shared spaces.
• Yield to the uphill hiker and biker — they need the momentum. Wheelchair users and equestrians always have the right of way. 
• People interested in exploring Colorado state parks for $29 should consider buying a Keep Colorado Wild Pass during their annual vehicle registration with the DMV. With the pass, you save $51 off the regular price of an annual state parks pass if purchased directly through CPW, and the pass funds search and rescue teams, avalanche safety and outdoor education. Learn more at cpw.info/keepcoloradowild and cpw.info/keepcoloradowildpassspanish. 

• Stock images of Colorado state parks and fall recreation
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• Partner educational resources and outreach materials