COLORADO STATE PARKS

After spending over 4 months first as a volunteer and then as a Park Attendant for the office, I have learned the ins and outs of the day-to-day operation of the park. Like the Federal parks, you get friendly people and then you get those that come across to you as very grumpy and Parks and Wildlife. Years and Years ago, they were one, and then separated and became two different agencies. Now with budget cuts and state funding being taken away from them, they are once again merging.

Along with those changes came some other changes. Since State parks will no longer get any state funding and now will be self-supporting. Prices had to change as well. This time they change the prices to the Senior Citizen’s of Colorado. They have a deal for state residents over 64 years of age called the Aspen Leaf. An Aspen Leaf annual pass use to cost only $35.00 and a second one $15.00. You could purchase a lifetime pass for $175.00. Effective July of this year all that changed. Now the Aspen Leaf Annual Pass is $60.00 ($10.00 off regular price) and the second one is $30.00 ($5.00 off the regular price). The lifetime pass went up to $300.00. Now that’s a HUGE jump and I have to agree with the elders of Colorado-it wasn’t fair to raise the prices the way they did. Also if you have an Aspen Leaf Pass-your camping was also reduced. Sun-Thu you use to get almost half price on camping now it’s only $3.00 off camping fees.

Needless to say as hard as the State Parks try to keep the price changes hush-hush so that they wouldn’t get bombarded with the Seniors buying the life time before the price change-I am glad to announce that their little secret got out and the state wasn’t prepared for the rush! At our park I can’t even begin to count how many we sold in the month of June. I know the main office in Denver and Littleton has those figures. All I know is that on the last day of June I sold everyone that was left in the office. Since prices has changed-I have only sold two life time passes….And I have notice that since camping prices changed for the Senior Citizen of Colorado-the numbers did go down on camping as well.

We have traveled across several states-spending most of our times in Federal Parks instead of State Parks, we still learned the prices of the state parks. And I have to say that Colorado is the most confusing one we have seen thus far. We have had several others that have come in and said the same thing. You have your camping fee plus your daily entrance fee-unless you have an Annual pass; then your entrance fee is waived. If you don’t have the Annual Pass this is how the fees will go: A basic tent site, you will pay $16.00 + $7.00 each night equaling $23.00. Electric sites are $20.00 + $7.00 each night; equaling $27.00. And full-hook up sites will cost $24.00 + $7.00 each night; equaling $31.00 each night.

If you should come in after the office is closed, there is self service to register. You have to fill out two permits, one for your daily pass and one for camping. Now if you're thinking of skipping out-think twice about it. One during peak season-they have a ranger on to late and generally that ranger won’t hesitate to get you out of bed to go register and pay for your camping fee, plus he has also written down your license plate number. And if by chance that ranger don’t get you, the state parks have volunteers that also will write down your license plate number and turn it into the morning ranger. If those two don’t get you, I almost guarantee that the morning ranger ( and they do come on early), will get you. Failure to pay for camping and daily pass could cost you more than what it was all worth! We have come into a few with no camping permit and our ranger made sure that they registered before leaving the park and I’m sure those that tried-won’t try again.

Colorado State parks are well kept and hope with all their budget cuts that they will be able to keep the parks beautiful.