Public Hunt LandFINDER

Colorado guide · last checked Oct 29, 2026

Public hunting land near Denver, Colorado

Front Range public land shortlist from our directory—national forests west of Denver, state wildlife areas and nearby refuges—with links to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Units below come from our PAD-US directory for Colorado. PAD-US does not prove hunting is open. Confirm seasons, permits and access with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the land manager before you hunt near Denver, Colorado.

What “near Denver, Colorado” means here

Denver itself is not a walk-up hunting destination. Most hunters look west into Pike or Arapaho National Forest, or to Front Range state wildlife areas and limited refuge programs. Every card below links to a page already in our Colorado directory.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife sets seasons and SWA rules; the Forest Service manages national forest travel and closures.

Forests & grasslands

Forest Service and state forest units in our shortlist. Hunting rules come from the land manager plus a Colorado hunting license—not from PAD-US alone.

  • National Forest land

    Pike National Forest

    1,097,216 acres

    U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Park County, Douglas County + 4 more

    Open access
  • National Forest land

    Arapaho National Forest

    721,351 acres

    U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Grand County, Clear Creek County + 5 more

    Open access

Overview: U.S. Forest Service: hunting.

Wildlife management areas & game lands

State-managed units. Many need check-in, drawings or special permits—confirm on the agency page for each area.

National wildlife refuges

Refuge hunting, when offered, is often limited by season, unit or permit. Read the refuge page before you go.

FWS: hunting on refuges.

Lakes & recreation areas

Corps and similar lake projects may allow hunting only in designated zones. Do not assume a directory page means the lake is open to hunt.

  • Army Corps of Engineers project land

    Cherry Creek Recreation Area

    5,503 acres

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Arapahoe County, Denver County

    Open access
  • Army Corps of Engineers project land

    Chatfield Recreation Area

    7,071 acres

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Douglas County, Jefferson County

    Open access

Corps Lakes Gateway.

Other public land nearby

  • State trust / land board land

    Lowry S. of Quincy

    21,704 acres

    State: land board · Arapahoe County

    Restricted access

How to use this guide with our directory

  1. Pick a named area below and open its page for acreage, counties, the PAD-US access tag, and nearby units.
  2. Follow the managing-agency link on that page (state wildlife agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, BLM, or Corps of Engineers).
  3. Buy the required state hunting license and any stamps/permits that agency lists for the species and land type.
  4. Confirm current season dates on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife hunting page.
  5. Recheck closures the week you go—fire restrictions, refuge hunt lotteries and WMA check-in rules change.

Agency hunting hub: Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Federal overviews: USFS hunting · FWS refuge hunting · Corps Lakes.

Common questions

Can I hunt close to Denver?

Some SWAs and forest units are within about an hour or two, but each has its own access rules. Start with CPW’s SWA pages and the local ranger district.

Do I need a Colorado hunting license on national forest?

Yes—state license rules still apply. Forest Service rules layer on top for access and travel.

Deer seasons?

See our deer season hub for verified states; Colorado dates come from CPW’s current season tables.

Related guides

Not legal advice and not an official source. This independent site is not affiliated with any government agency. Season dates are copied from the agency pages linked above as of the “last checked” date and may have changed since. The agency’s current regulations are what count. Full disclaimer.