Crawford State Park invites public to Pioneer Days fireworks, state park history book party

John Livingston
Southwest Region Public Information Officer
970-759-9590 / [email protected]
@CPW_SW

CRAWFORD, Colo. – Crawford State Park will offer free admission to visitors Saturday, June 14 as part of the Crawford Pioneer Days festivities that culminate in a fireworks display.

The annual community festival, now in its 46th year, will bring an action-packed day to the park. Day-use fees will be waived Saturday, though those in the park Sunday will need to have a valid park pass.

During this year’s celebration, CPW will also host a party at the park to commemorate the release of CPW’s state parks history book titled “At Home in Nature.” The event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the visitor center.

As part of the book release party, there will be prize raffles for Osprey day packs, Yeti tumblers, camp chairs, book copies and more. Regularly priced at $38.95, guests attending Crawford State Park on Saturday may also purchase “At Home in Nature” at a discount.

After the book party, stay in the park for a fireworks extravaganza put on by the local fire department. The show will begin at dusk and last approximately 45 minutes.

“We’ve been happy to host this fireworks show for nearly 40 years,” Park Manager Scott Rist said. “It’s a wonderful family event, and we enjoy welcoming visitors from all over the region.”

Rist reminds the public to exercise patience while entering and exiting the park. As many as 250 vehicles typically enter and exit the park for the fireworks show.

“People driving in and out of the park should expect traffic for the fireworks show,” he said. “We will have pedestrian traffic, and we want to keep everyone safe, so please drive slowly and be cautious.”

Rist also reminds the public to park only in designated areas and to keep vehicles off of park vegetation.

The reservoir at Crawford is currently 14 feet below full. Boat launching will be at the Iron Creek Boat Ramp. The ANS inspection station will be open until 11 p.m. June 14. 

While the water temperature has risen to 72 degrees, it is still important to have a personal floatation device (PFD) when recreating on the water.

“We just always want to remind people, even strong swimmers, that it’s important to have a PFD when they are on the water to reduce the risk of drowning,” Rist said. “Even in 70-degree water, it’s cold and hypothermia can set in quickly and impair your ability to self rescue.”

Crawford State Park is located in Delta County along Highway 92 southeast of Hotchkiss and northeast of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The reservoir is known as a quality perch and crappie fishery and offers good chances to fish for warm water species such as largemouth bass.

Reservations for campgrounds can be made at:https://cpw.state.co.us/buyapply/Pages/Reservations.aspx.