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Colorado parks offering special deals, opportunities for seniors and vets

    Spanning 104 million square miles and several high-altitude biomes, Colorado is an international destination for outdoor recreation, including hiking, fishing, winter sports and more.
    Colorado Parks and Wildlife is responsible for conserving the state’s natural landscapes and scenic beauty. The agency maintains 41 state parks as well as Colorado’s hunting and fishing license programs.
    For visitors who might otherwise have trouble getting out into Colorado’s open spaces, CPW also has a range of programs to make accessing outdoor recreation easier than ever.
    If fishing is your game, discounts are available for Colorado seniors, veterans and limited-mobility visitors.
    Anglers over the age of 64 can fish for just $8 per year with the agency’s senior annual pass. Those ages 65 or older living at or below the poverty line can also qualify for a lifetime pass.
    Purple Heart recipients and veterans with a documented disability of 60 percent or more related to their service can apply for a special lifetime fishing and small game hunting license.
    Anglers with a total and permanent disability are eligible for a free lifetime fishing pass.
    Once you receive your license, you can check CPW’s list of spots accessible to anglers with limited mobility in northeast Colorado. Local sites include Doty Park Pond in Brush, Jeff’s Pond in Fleming, Haxtun Gun Club Lake, Holyoke Lions Club Fishin’ Hole, DePoorter Lake in Julesburg, Overland Trail Park Pond in Sterling and Pioneer Park in Yuma.
    Hunters with limited mobility are also given special privileges by the state. Each year, big game hunting licenses are reserved for hunters with a mobility impairment caused by a permanent medical condition that makes it impossible for them to hunt without assistance.
    Hunters with disabilities can also apply for permits allowing them to shoot from vehicles, use the exterior of a vehicle to support a firearm and use assistants to track and kill wounded game.
    Holders of a free lifetime fishing license, the veterans combo fishing and small game license, or the big game license for hunters with mobility impairments are exempt from a nominal fee that would typically go toward habitat conservation.
    Colorado’s state and national park system also includes dozens of spots for seniors and vets to access fishing, hunting and hiking.
    Roxborough State Park, located about 20 miles south of Denver, is well-known for the striking formations of red sandstone that tower above a network of scenic trails. The wheelchair-accessible Fountain Valley Trail winds 2.3 miles through these formations and the habitats of mule deer, fox and other wildlife.
    Near Roxborough, Staunton State Park is equipped with two Action Trackchairs — special motorized wheelchairs that allow users to navigate rugged terrain within the park and access views of Pikes Peak, Lions Head and Mount Rosalie. The chairs are free to use and can be reserved ahead of time.
    Rocky Mountain National Park includes about 415 square miles of land close to Estes Park and boasts more spectacular mountain views. The park’s famous Trail Ridge Road peaks at 12,183 feet and is marked by turnouts where visitors can enjoy unbeatable views of the mountain forests and alpine tundra.
    Sections of the park’s Bear Lake Nature Trail and Coyote Valley Trails are also wheelchair-accessible. Lily Lake includes an accessible fishing pier.
    Near Littleton, Chatfield State Park features more than a dozen miles of paved trail and accessible fishing next to the picturesque Chatfield Reservoir.
    Other Colorado state parks that offer accessible fishing, according to CPW, are Boyd Lake, Cherry Creek, Golden Gate Canyon and St. Vrain.
    Vets are admitted free to all Colorado state parks during the month of August, and those with current Colorado Disabled Veterans license plates can access state parks for free witho​ut a pass on their windshield. Disabled vets ages 65 and up can also camp in state parks Sunday through Thursday, excluding holidays, at a discounted rate.
    Visitors with a total and permanent disability can apply annually for a Columbine Park Pass, which offers discounted access to state parks.
    In addition to opportunities for fishing, hunting and hiking, all Colorado parks offer places to observe the birds and other wildlife that call the state home.

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