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Free admission to Colorado state parks for veterans and active duty military during month of August

Posted at 3:47 PM, Aug 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-03 17:48:27-04

DENVER — For the entire month of August, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is offering all active duty military and veterans free admission to all 41 of Colorado's state parks.

CPW said the free access for veterans and active duty military programs is offered in appreciation to those who serve and have served our country.

“We deeply appreciate our active duty service members and veterans for their service to our nation,” said Dan Prenzlow, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “There’s no way to ever thank our military members enough for their service and sacrifice, but CPW is proud to offer free entry to our parks this month as a chance to get out and spend time in Colorado’s great outdoors.”

A pass for the month was made available for all eligible military members on August 1st. All those eligible can pick up their pass at any CPW office or state park.

CPW said those eligible are all military personnel honorably discharged, discharged under honorable conditions, or with general discharge, as well as active duty, reservist, and National Guard personnel. To obtain a pass, those eligible need to bring one of the following for staff to confirm:

  • Active, retired or veteran military identification cards
  • DD Form 2,
  • DD Form 2765,
  • DD214 with the discharge annotated "honorable", "under honorable conditions", or "general",
  • Veterans Affairs medical card,
  • A current and valid Colorado Driver’s License or state-issued identification card with the word ‘Veteran’ printed on it as specified in 42-2-303 (5)(a), C.R.S
  • A military seal on a driver’s license does NOT satisfy the requirement for military ID for this pass

According to CPW, the hang-tag pass is valid when hung from the rear-view mirror of a service member occupied vehicle and admits all passengers in that vehicle.

“We wouldn’t have these beautiful natural resources and open spaces to enjoy without the sacrifice of so many veterans and current active duty service members, so we hope that these folks and their families and friends are able to spend some quality time with us in August,” said Prenzlow.

Although park entrance fees are waied for the month, activities such as fishing and camping still require a valid license or reservation.

To locate a park near you or anywhere in the state, visit the CPW Park Finder.