Keep Colorado Wild Pass Program advances Colorado’s outdoor recreation and conservation goals

Bridget O'Rourke
Statewide Public Information Officer
720-219-2919
[email protected] Keep Colorado Wild Pass Program advances Colorado’s outdoor recreation and conservation goals

DATE: Nov. 3, 2025

DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has published a 2025 Keep Colorado Wild Act Report to share how revenue generated from the Keep Colorado Wild Pass is being used to fulfill outdoor recreation and conservation needs in Colorado.

As part of the Keep Colorado Wild (KCW) Act of 2021, CPW and the Department of Revenue — Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) created an optional $29 annual state parks pass for Colorado residents, which can be added when registering passenger vehicles, light trucks, motorcycles and recreational vehicles. The Keep Colorado Wild Pass offers a 60% savings compared to a traditional annual state parks pass, and provides one-year entry into all 43 Colorado state parks by car, bike and foot. 

“Colorado is known for our grand outdoor spaces, offering our residents and visitors to our state with an amazing variety of world-class outdoor recreational activities. In Colorado, it is our commitment to uplift and invest in conservation efforts to preserve our state parks for future generations, protect our critical ecosystems, and make sure parks are accessible for everyone to enjoy,” said Governor Polis. 

The pass's purpose is to provide consistent, reliable financial contributions that allow the state parks system to continue growing with Colorado’s population while motivating and accommodating increasing demand for outdoor recreation opportunities. Since becoming available to purchase in January 2023, the Keep Colorado Wild Pass has raised approximately $100 million through June 30, 2025. 

This funding supports CPW’s mission and goals to ensure affordable park access, increase staffing and resources for state parks, support search and rescue operations, enhance avalanche safety, develop new state parks, expand outdoor recreation capacity on federal lands, boost state trail programs, conserve vulnerable wildlife species, promote equity and inclusion in the outdoors, and fund regional outdoor partnerships.

In the most recent fiscal year, approximately 1.5 million Keep Colorado Wild Passes were obtained by Coloradans, generating $41 million to help protect public lands, a 3% increase in sales from the prior year. 

“The millions of Colorado residents who opted in to buy the pass are a testament that Coloradans care deeply about the outdoor spaces and wildlife that define our state,” said Branding and Communications Section Manager Rebecca Ferrell. “The Keep Colorado Wild Pass empowers everyone to play a direct role in conserving these treasures and ensuring our lands, wildlife and recreation opportunities thrive for generations to come.”

Initial Keep Colorado Wild Pass revenue (the first $32.5 million) is dedicated to making the pass accessible and to state park maintenance and staffing. Remaining funds "spill over" to support $2.5 million allocated to the Colorado Backcountry Search and Rescue Program, $1 million to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), and nearly $2.6 million in fiscal year 2025 (FY25) to both the Wildlife Cash Fund and the Parks and Outdoor Recreation Cash Fund for broader wildlife and outdoor recreation initiatives. 

KCW funds are used in combination with several other funding sources to accomplish activities related to KCW Act goals. Key progress highlights include:

• CPW increased full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in state park operations, significantly increased funds for operations and maintenance, and supported capital construction projects (e.g., Fishers Peak, Sweitzer Lake, Highline Lake). Almost $13 million of KCW revenue was allocated to capital infrastructure projects for FY26.
• In the 2024-2026 grant cycle, $1.5 million was awarded to 35 counties to support volunteer search and rescue efforts.
• The annual funding of $1 million to the CAIC supported significant increases in FTE staff avalanche forecasts through a new forecasting software platform.
• CPW continued development at Fishers Peak State Park, expanded Sweitzer Lake State Park, and opened a new 20-site campground at Highline Lake State Park. 
• The Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI) expanded to cover 80% of Colorado's land mass. 
• The RPI Grant Program distributed nearly $1.2 million in the Fall 2024 grant cycle, a 26% increase from the baseline average. This strengthened regional collaborations and supported community-driven conservation and recreation planning.
• The Colorado's Outdoors Strategy was completed, advancing coordination, tools and funding to align, prioritize and implement strategic actions on the landscape for conservation, outdoor recreation and climate resilience.  
• CPW’s Recreational Trails Program continued efforts to fund trail maintenance, enforcement, planning and construction, awarding over $14.8 million in grants and supporting over 157,600 hours of trail crews in FY25. 
• CPW completed the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan and dedicated over $16.7 million to conserving non-game and endangered species in FY25.
• The Outdoor Equity Grant Program awarded $3 million to 35 organizations in November 2024, addressing the high demand for outdoor recreation funding for underserved youth and families.

To learn more about the Keep Colorado Wild Pass at cpw.state.co.us/keep-colorado-wild-pass