Saving People Money: Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission Approves $29 price point for Keep Colorado Wild Pass

DENVER, CO - At today’s 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.  

Starting in 2023, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will offer a Keep Colorado Wild Pass to all Coloradans through the Division of Motor Vehicles. The Pass will be included when a person registers a passenger vehicle, light truck, motorcycle and recreational vehicle. This new Keep Colorado Wild Pass is part of the Polis administration’s plans to save people money, sustainably increase funding for conserving our natural resources, bolstering our local communities, and includes the benefit of serving as an annual parks pass for all Colorado State Parks.   

“I’m thrilled that the Keep Colorado Wild Pass will help save Coloradans even more money and help people experience our world class state parks system and great outdoors. Drastically reducing the cost for an annual state parks and public lands pass from $84 per year to just $29 annually for unlimited access will save families and individuals money and ensure care for our treasured parks and public lands and I thank President Fenberg, Reps. Tipper and Will and Senator Donovan for working with our administration on the landmark Keep Colorado Wild Annual Pass,” said Governor Jared Polis.

“Our state parks and public lands represent the very fabric of our state and our people. I’m thrilled to see that the price of the Keep Colorado Wild Pass will be even lower than expected,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg. “The pass is the single most impactful thing we can do as a state to protect our public lands while opening them up to more families from all different backgrounds and income levels and I look forward to seeing it fully implemented next year.”

The pass, now priced at $29, is being offered for less than half the price of a regularly priced annual park pass, and vehicle registrants will have the option to decline the Pass. This lower price point pass offers more sustainable funding for Colorado’s state parks and allows for all Coloradans to share and invest in Colorado’s outdoors. 

“When living in Colorado, a love for the outdoors becomes inevitable; it’s a part of who we are. Natural beauty surrounds us and spending time in nature enriches all of our lives,” said CPW Director Dan Prenzlow. “So whether you plan to visit our state parks or not, your purchase of the Keep Colorado Wild Pass is a generous and simple way to show you care about our outdoors, wildlife, lands and waters that make up the heartbeat of Colorado - and support those that manage it.” 

Coloradans that buy the KCW Pass are directly investing in park maintenance projects, search and rescue programs, avalanche awareness, wildlife conservation, and educational and equity programs, while also getting access to all of our state parks. 

Money generated from the KCW Pass sales will be used to support natural resource conservation, outdoor educational programs, search and rescue operations and equity and inclusion efforts in Colorado.

By requirement outlined in Senate Bill 21-249, CPW intends to launch a formal educational campaign in July 2022 that promotes the Keep Colorado Wild Pass to Colorado residents. 

Learn more about the Keep Colorado Wild Pass and how to sustain our wildlife and natural wonders for future generations, visit https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/Keep-Colorado-Wild-Pass.aspx