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Get Outdoors! Colorado Public Lands Day

Hello Colorado! Get outdoors and celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day, the third Saturday in May each year.

Hello Colorado! Get outdoors and celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day!  In 2016, Colorado became the first state in the nation to establish a holiday celebrating the value of our public lands. As this new annual tradition continues, the third Saturday in May will honor all public lands available for use. Coloradoans love getting outside and so let’s celebrate “Colorado Public Lands Day.”

Hello Colorado! Get outdoors and celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day, the third Saturday in May each year.
Hello Colorado! Get outdoors and celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day, the third Saturday in May each year. Photo Credit: Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Celebrate the Great Outdoors on Colorado Public Lands Day

Our family LOVES getting outdoors, and we’re lucky to live in Colorado where we have 24 million acres of public lands!  Colorado Parks and Wildlife and its partners are celebrating Colorado Public Lands Day this year on Saturday, May 15, 2021.  This annual event is observed on the third Saturday in May.

With the year 2020 being exceptionally challenging due to COVID-19, the virus crisis is impacting Colorado’s communities and outdoor recreation economy. This year, we must adapt and celebrate public lands while remaining socially distant, but studies still show that.

Attend a Virtual Event

This year, all Public Lands Day activities will be virtual. These virtual events will highlight art, film, educational webinars, and community conversations to offer a variety of ways that Coloradans can meaningfully connect with one another as well as our precious lands and waters.

These are all reminders to enjoy the outdoor wonderlands of our beautiful state. The holiday was established to honor the significant contributions that national, state and local public lands within Colorado make to wildlife, outdoor recreation, the economy, and to Coloradans’ way of life.
Introducing the annual Colorado Public Lands Day, the third Saturday of May.
Introducing the annual Colorado Public Lands Day.

How many Colorado State Parks?

Currently, there are 41 Colorado State Parks. Pick your favorite and get outdoors on Colorado Public Lands Day.
One of our favorite Colorado state parks is located near our home.  The Golden Gate Canyon State Park is located in Gilpin and Jefferson counties northwest of Golden, Colorado. The 11,998-acre Front Range park established in 1960 has 36 miles of hiking trails. When the grandkids were younger, we made it a quick one-night camping and fishing trip with some friends — so much fun, inexpensive and short drive to enjoy the outdoors.

In the Future…Check Out Family Activities Backpack — for FREE!

Check out a free family activity backpack to really enjoy your visit to Colorado State Parks. Photo credit: Colorado State Parks
Check out a free family activity backpack to really enjoy your visit to Colorado State Parks. Photo credit: Colorado State Parks

While 2020 is quite different than any other year, Looking forward to post-COVID-19, take your adventure outdoors!

On Colorado Public Lands Day, discover Family Activity Backpacks that visitors can check out at select parks for their journey along the trail. These packs help turn an ordinary hike into a learning adventure in nature!

The interactive packs will include two large bug boxes, magnifiers, various guidebooks (covering birds, insects, wildflowers, and pond or tree life depending on the park), binoculars, and a nature journal.

Families can use the contents of the pack to let their imaginations soar or they can use some of the suggested activities for more structured exploration. The packs can help explorers of any age discover how fun the journey can be as they delve in for a closer look at the great outdoors.

Activity packs may be checked out at the park visitor centers or office for day use and returned before heading home or back to the campsite.

You can find Family Activity Backpacks at these Colorado state parks:

Fish from the miles of shoreline at Steamboat Lake State Park
Fish from the miles of shoreline at Steamboat Lake State Park

Where to Find Events and Programs on Colorado Public Lands Day?

CPW is proud to participate in this annual event and has planned a variety of programs and special events at many of our state parks. Other Colorado Public Lands Day events are planned on various public lands around the state. Sharing your best photo taken on Colorado’s public lands may even earn you a prize package, including an annual Colorado State Park pass and a subscription to Colorado Outdoors Magazine.

Share with us in the comments below how you celebrated Colorado Public Lands Day — and your favorite way to experience Colorado’s great outdoors any day of the year!

More about Colorado Public Lands Day

Colorado is the first state in the nation to establish a holiday celebrating the value of our public lands. As this new annual tradition begins, the third Saturday in May will honor all public lands available for use and has been aptly named Colorado Public Lands Day. State parks, in addition to national parks, forests, and grasslands; as well as public lands managed by the BLM, are vital elements that continue to make Colorado the number one national destination for outdoor enjoyment and recreation. Learn more about Colorado Public Lands day here.

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