DENVER – Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers free park entrance to active-duty military and veterans during the month of August as a result of House Bill 15-1045, signed into law May 27, 2015.

“We invite Colorado’s military community to enjoy all of the beauty and recreational opportunities Colorado State Parks have to offer,” said CPW Parks and Recreation Assistant Director, Margaret Taylor.

CPW encourages eligible individuals to get their pass in advance at any CPW office or state park to avoid delays at the gate on a planned recreation day.

“Archery, boating, rock climbing, hiking, geocaching and wildlife-viewing, along with well-equipped nature centers and picnic areas are just a few of the options for service members to relax and recharge,” added Taylor.

See all the options in the 2015 Parks Guide.

Veterans and active-duty military personnel (including active duty, Reserve and National Guard members) can obtain a military hang-tag pass valid for free admission during the month of August, by showing the CPW parks staff one of the following:
-Active or retired military identification,
-DD Form 2765,
-DD214,
-Veterans Affairs medical card,
-A current Colorado Driver’s License or state issued identification card with the veteran seal printed on it.

Once eligibility is confirmed, the military hang-tag pass is issued to the service member. The hang-tag pass is valid when hung from the rear-view mirror of a service member occupied vehicle, and admits all passengers of that vehicle.

Park entrance fees are waived for veterans and active-duty personnel in the month of August, but activities like fishing and camping will still require a valid license and permit. Go to http://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Pages/parkMap.aspx or http://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/Pages/default.aspx to locate a state park near you.

This year $150,000 was appropriated from general funds to mitigate lost revenue. Free access for veterans and active duty military is slated to continue every year in which general fund dollars are appropriated by the General Assembly.

For more information see the Military/Veterans August Pass 2015 Fact Sheet. Feel free to distribute this fact sheet at Vet Centers,  Morale, Welfare & Recreation and Veteran’s Affairs offices around the state.

CPW is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 42 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW’s work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.

For more news about Colorado Parks and Wildlife go to: http://cpw.state.co.us

For more information about Colorado Parks and Wildlife go to: http://cpw.state.co.us.