Most Colorado state trust lands are closed to the public. Public access to Colorado state trust lands is limited to properties the State Land Board has specifically opened through a lease or program, and the two main pathways are the Hunting and Fishing Access Program, which covers roughly 973,000 acres seasonally, and a smaller set of parcels leased to government agencies for hiking, biking, camping, or off-road use. Walking onto any other trust land parcel without written permission is criminal trespass.
Why Trust Lands Aren’t Open Like Public Lands
Colorado’s 2.8 million surface acres of state trust land are not public lands in the federal sense. The State Land Board holds them under a fiduciary duty to generate income for public schools, and under C.R.S. § 36-1-121 the land is closed to all entry or use unless the board has granted written permission. That is the default rule. Everything below is an exception to it.
Treating trust land like a national forest is the single most common mistake. A parcel with no fence, no house, and no visible activity is still private, in effect, from a visitor’s standpoint. The land is usually leased to a rancher, an energy operator, or another paying tenant, and the board’s obligation runs to the schools that depend on that revenue, not to recreational users.
The Hunting and Fishing Access Program
The Hunting and Fishing Access Program (HFAP) is the broadest public access pathway. Colorado Parks and Wildlife leases roughly 973,000 acres of trust land from the State Land Board and opens them seasonally to licensed hunters and anglers.1State Land Board. Public Access on Trust Land
Most HFAP properties open September 1 and close at the end of February. Individual properties can have different windows, so check the specific parcel before you go.
Everyone 16 or older must carry a valid Colorado hunting or fishing license to set foot on an enrolled property. The license is the access credential. Without it, you are trespassing even on a property that is otherwise open.2Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Flying A – About This State Trust Land
Wildlife viewing is permitted on some HFAP properties where specifically authorized, but it is not a general right. The default on an HFAP parcel is hunting and fishing only.
Properties Open for Hiking, Biking, Camping, and OHV Use
More than a million additional acres of trust land are leased by federal, state, and local government agencies that allow some level of non-hunting recreation.1State Land Board. Public Access on Trust Land A few examples show the range of what exists and how narrow it is:
- State Forest State Park in Jackson County, trust land managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife for year-round public recreation as part of the state park system.
- Zapata Falls in Alamosa County, with hiking access to a scenic waterfall.
- The Black Forest Section 16 Trail, a gravel trail open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.
- North Sand Hills OHV Area in Jackson County, which allows seasonal camping and off-road vehicle use.
These parcels exist because a government agency took on the lease and the responsibility of managing public use. Rules vary site by site. Some allow camping; most do not. Some are year-round; others are seasonal. Both the State Land Board’s rules and the managing agency’s rules apply, and violations by visitors can get a property closed to future public use.1State Land Board. Public Access on Trust Land
Rules Once You’re on an Open Property
On HFAP properties, motorized vehicles must stay on designated roads. Off-road driving damages the soil and habitat that paying lessees depend on. Camping and fires are prohibited on most HFAP properties, and the seasonal access window does not include overnight use unless a particular property’s signage says otherwise.2Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Flying A – About This State Trust Land
Leave every gate exactly as you found it. Many trust land parcels are actively grazed, and an open gate can scatter livestock across thousands of acres and cost the lessee real money. Gate problems are one of the fastest routes to a property being pulled from public access.
Property-specific signs describe the allowed uses, rules, and access dates for each parcel. Read them when you arrive, and follow them.
Penalties for Unauthorized Entry
Entering trust land without the State Land Board’s prior written permission violates C.R.S. § 36-1-121. A separate statute, C.R.S. § 33-6-116, prohibits hunting, fishing, or trapping on trust lands without that permission, and a violation can cost you your hunting and fishing privileges on top of any criminal penalty.1State Land Board. Public Access on Trust Land
The general criminal charge for walking onto trust land without authorization is third-degree criminal trespass under C.R.S. § 18-4-504, which covers unlawfully entering or remaining on the premises of another. Third-degree trespass is a petty offense, with a maximum fine of $300 and up to 10 days in county jail.3Justia. Colorado Code 18-4-504 – Third Degree Criminal Trespass4Justia. Colorado Code 18-1.3-503 – Petty Offenses
If the trust land is fenced or enclosed to exclude intruders, the charge can escalate to second-degree criminal trespass under C.R.S. § 18-4-503. That is also a petty offense in most circumstances, but it becomes a class 5 felony if the land is classified as agricultural and the trespasser intends to commit a felony.5Justia. Colorado Code 18-4-503 – Second Degree Criminal Trespass
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers and local law enforcement patrol enrolled properties. If a trespass violation is tied to hunting or fishing, you can lose your license and future wildlife privileges in addition to the criminal charge.
How to Check Before You Go
Colorado Parks and Wildlife maintains the State Trust Land Finder, an online tool that identifies which parcels are enrolled for public access and what each property allows.6Colorado Parks and Wildlife. State Trust Land Finder Use it before every trip. A parcel’s status, dates, and allowed uses can change, and showing up at a non-enrolled parcel on the assumption that it looks open is how trespass citations get written.
If you want to hunt or fish on HFAP land, buy the license first, confirm the property is enrolled and inside its access window, and read the signage at the parcel. If you want to hike, bike, camp, or ride, confirm the specific property allows that activity before you load the car. Anything outside those confirmed paths is closed.