Saving People Money on Parks Passes: Colorado Parks Pass Price Cut to $29 Starting Jan. 1, 2023

Press Release

Today, Governor Jared Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced that, starting on Jan. 1, 2023, Colorado residents can get a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass during their annual vehicle registration through the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). In March at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission Meeting, the Commission members passed a $29 price point for the Keep Colorado Wild Pass (KCW Pass) which is less than half the price of the current annual parks pass.

The Keep Colorado Wild Pass is an annual state park pass that:

Provides entry to all Colorado state parks

Protects wildlife, lands and water

Supports search and rescue programs

Funds trails and local community projects

Helps make the outdoors safe and available to all

"Colorado is home to world-class state parks and cutting the price of a parks pass will save families money and ensure our treasured parks and public lands can be explored for generations to come. Cutting the cost of an annual parks pass by over fifty dollars will help Colorado families and individuals save money while helping expand access to our vast great outdoors," said Governor Polis.

President Steve Fenberg, Reps. Kerry Tipper and Perry Will and Senator Donovan sponsored the landmark bipartisan law signed by Gov. Polis creating the Keep Colorado Wild Annual Pass. Under Governor Polis, Colorado has worked to create new state parks, with Fishers Peak in Trinidad officially opening over a year ago and the administration launching a partnership in the Fall of 2021 to create Colorado's 43rd State Park at Sweetwater Lake in collaboration with local stakeholders.

Colorado is home to more than 22 million acres of public lands, ranging from wetlands to forests, canyon landscapes to mountain lakes. Governor Polis is a strong supporter of Colorado's outdoors and has fulfilled his pledge to double the amount of publicly accessible state trust land enrolled in the Public Access Program.

"Colorado's great outdoors and wildlife are among our most treasured resources," said Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Acting Director Heather Dugan. "We know Coloradans value an outdoor lifestyle and take pride in our state's natural beauty. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is excited to offer this new pass because it gives all Coloradans the opportunity to enjoy our state parks and protect the outdoor spaces and traditions we cherish."

Residents will be able to buy or decline the pass when registering a passenger vehicle, light truck, motorcycle and recreational vehicle starting in 2023. The pass is not transferable between vehicles and is linked to a specific license plate and registration card. Residents will have the clear option to decline the pass when registering a vehicle with the DMV online, through a kiosk or by notifying a customer service representative. To learn more, read our Frequently Asked Questions.

"Coloradans that buy the $29 pass with their vehicle registration,show they care about our natural resources and are taking action to protect and enhance them for our current communities and future generations," said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources

The goal is to raise at least $36 million annually. The first $32.5 million will go to state park maintenance, the next $2.5 million will go to supporting the Colorado Backcountry Search and Rescue system and $1 million will support the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Additional money raised from the pass will be used to protect wildlife habitats, conduct avalanche awareness education, invest in outdoor equity programs and more. For more information, read the 10 Keep Colorado Wild Pass funding goals.

To ensure the new pass offers benefits to Colorado residents from all backgrounds and income levels, CPW launched a public engagement campaign to ask residents in disproportionately impacted communities about the use and affordability of state parks. Residents interested in sharing their thoughts can participate in focus groups. The schedule and registration links can be found on the calendar here. CPW is also accepting input through an online comment form (in English and Spanish).

CPW and DMV staff understand there will be an adjustment period in 2023 as residents wait for the Keep Colorado Wild Pass to be available to them during their annual vehicle registration. All regularly priced CPW daily or annual park passes are still available to customers who may have a window between the expiration of their current pass and the next vehicle registration or renewal, but still want to enjoy state parks. CPW is also developing a refund policy that addresses any overlap of customers with park passes that are still valid when their vehicle registration with the lower-priced Keep Colorado Wild Pass is due. More information will be posted on the website when available.

For more information and updates, visit cpw.info/keepcoloradowild or cpw.info/keepcoloradowildpassspanish.

Help us promote the Keep Colorado Wild Pass! View our online Campaign Toolkit to find resources that can be shared.

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