Veterans, active-duty military personnel and the National Guard can visit any Colorado state park for free on November 11, 2026. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is offering the free entry as a thank you to U.S. military members.

The offer is open to both Colorado residents and non-residents. Visitors must show proof of military service.

Vehicles with a Colorado Disabled Veteran or Purple Heart license plate get free entry to all state parks year-round.

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife also offers other military benefits for outdoor activities. These benefits are for active-duty military, veterans and disabled veterans. They include free admission to state parks in August and free lifetime small game and fishing licenses for qualified disabled veterans. They also include a free specialty Independence Pass to visit Colorado state parks.

Visitors can find a state park map and see the activities at each park with the online State Park Finder.

Drivers can buy a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass when they register a vehicle. The pass supports state parks, search and rescue teams and avalanche safety programs. Colorado residents with fee-exempt military license plates, or Colorado Disabled Veterans or Purple Heart plates, may visit state parks for free. If they renew their vehicle registration online, they can stay opted in and get the Keep Colorado Wild Pass at no cost. Learn more at cpw.info/keepcoloradowild.

Readers curious about the pass can see how the optional $29 vehicle fee raised $39.7 million in 2024, beating its funding goal.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife runs mainly on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees. It manages 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering about 900,000 acres. Its work brings about $6 billion in total economic impact to Colorado each year.

All other state park fees stay in effect on November 11. These include camping reservations, boat and off-highway vehicle registrations, and hunting and fishing licenses. Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices and call centers will be closed November 11 for the state holiday. Visitors should call Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices before their visit to check whether state park visitor centers are open.