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Colorado state wildlife area · hunting
Apishapa State Wildlife Area, a guide for Colorado hunters
State wildlife area in Las Animas County, 7,935 acres.
Photo: National Park Service (Public domain)
Getting to Apishapa State Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Apishapa State Wildlife Area
- Apishapa State Wildlife Area North ParkingParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Apishapa State Wildlife Area South ParkingParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Apishapa SWA by the numbers
Apishapa SWA takes in 7,935 acres according to the CPW SWA page. Size places it 21st out of 224 state wildlife areas in Colorado. 7 state wildlife areas touch Las Animas County, and Apishapa SWA is one of the set. Southeast Region, Area 11, Walsenburg South and Trinidad E district: that is the CPW chain for Apishapa SWA. Contact on the property page: CPW Area 11 Office, Pueblo, phone 719-561-5300. The 2026 Recreation Lands brochure gives the hunting line for Apishapa SWA as deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, rabbit, scaled quail, dove. The brochure also notes hiking, wildlife viewing. Overnight stays: not an offered amenity here.
Hunting opportunities on record: Deer, Pronghorn, Bighorn sheep, Doves, Scaled quail, Rabbits.
Page activities: Hunting, Nature Viewing, Hiking and Walking.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 4 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Apishapa State Wildlife Area
What Apishapa SWA allows and forbids
At 16 and older, entry to Apishapa SWA takes a Colorado hunting or fishing license or the SWA Pass. Vehicles stay on roads signed open, and camping is limited to authorized spots. Leave permanent stands at home: portable blinds and stands only, set up within 30 days of the opener. Never fire a gun or loose an arrow in a parking, camping or picnic area.
Restrictions on Apishapa SWA:
- Open for public access August 16 to May. 31.
- Camping permitted by licensed hunters in designated parking areas during designated big game, spring turkey, and fall turkey seasons plus 3 days before and 3 days after each season.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Finding Apishapa SWA on the ground
Brochure directions: From Walsenburg, go 18.5 miles NE on Highway 10 to property sign; turn SE and go 20 miles past Mica Butte.
Apishapa SWA is plotted at 37.6517, -104.2547 on the statewide map.
Directions from the 2026 Colorado State Recreation Lands brochure; map files from the CPW property page; point from CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (1 polygon) (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 5, 2026.
GMUs and unit rules on Apishapa SWA
Big game licenses here are sold by unit, and Apishapa SWA touches 2 GMUs: GMU 133, GMU 134.
These GMUs sit outside the elk antler point restriction. For lions, the units fall in harvest-limit group 20.
| Unit | Where | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| GMU 133 | Las Animas, Huerfano, Pueblo | lion group 20, spring turkey OTC, plains unit |
| GMU 134 | Las Animas, Pueblo | lion group 20, spring turkey OTC, plains unit |
CPW publishes harvest by GMU, not by property. In 2024, GMU 133 led these units with 135 pronghorn taken.
| Unit | Species | Harvest | Hunters | Pct success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 133 | Elk | 21 | 85 | 25% |
| GMU 133 | Deer | 9 | 42 | 21% |
| GMU 133 | Pronghorn | 135 | 276 | 49% |
| GMU 134 | Elk | 33 | 63 | 53% |
| GMU 134 | Deer | 34 | 80 | 43% |
| GMU 134 | Pronghorn | 118 | 180 | 66% |
GMU overlay from the CPW Big Game GMU layer; unit rules from the 2026 Big Game brochure; 2024 elk harvest by GMU, 2024 deer harvest by GMU, 2024 pronghorn harvest by GMU, 2024 bear harvest by GMU; checked November 5, 2026.
Apishapa SWA season calendar by GMU
The units of Apishapa SWA carry 12 big game seasons this year. No over-the-counter big game row reaches these units. We dropped 1 rows valid only on private land or enrolled ranches. The table follows the species list for Apishapa SWA, which removes 14 rows.
| Species | Season | Sex | Kind | From | To | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | doe | Limited draw | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Deer | Archery | either sex | Limited draw | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | buck | Limited draw | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | doe | Limited draw | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | either sex | Limited draw | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 3, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Deer | Rifle | doe | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 3, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Deer | Rifle | either sex | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 3, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Pronghorn | Muzzleloader | buck | Limited draw | Sep 21, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Pronghorn | Muzzleloader | doe | Limited draw | Sep 21, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | 133, 134 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle | doe | Limited draw | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | 133, 134 |
Seasons for the smaller game on the list
| Species | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quail | Season 1 | East of I-25 | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Mourning dove | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Cottontail | Season | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
Season rows and hunt codes from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, the 2026 Small Game and Waterfowl brochure, the Turkey brochure and the Mountain Lion brochure; property access dates still apply; checked November 5, 2026.
Mapped neighbours of Apishapa SWA
Apishapa North STL sits 4 miles north of the Apishapa SWA point. Nearby public places include 5 trust land parcels and 1 national grassland.
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apishapa North STL | State trust land | 1,880 | Las Animas | 4 miles | north |
| North Devils Canyon STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 14 miles | east |
| Tinaja Canyon STL | State trust land | 640 | Huerfano | 14 miles | northwest |
| Comanche National Grassland | National grassland | 443,642 | Baca | 15 miles | east |
| Bloom Hills STL | State trust land | 676 | Otero | 16 miles | east |
| The Hogback STL | State trust land | 640 | Huerfano | 17 miles | west |
Point: CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (1 polygon) (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Closed places from lands.json closed rows. Statewide public land map.
Apishapa SWA: nearby towns, shops and the CPW office
Measured in a straight line, Hoehne is 27 miles from Apishapa SWA. For a full-size grocery run, Pueblo (111,166 people) is the pick. You can reach the Pueblo CPW office in about 48 miles of straight line.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoehne | Las Animas | – | 27 miles | south |
| Walsenburg | Huerfano | 3,035 | 29 miles | west |
| Trinidad | Las Animas | 8,183 | 36 miles | south |
| La Junta | Otero | 6,986 | 45 miles | northeast |
| Pueblo | Pueblo | 111,166 | 47 miles | northwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); CPW offices from the CPW Contact Us page; businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 5, 2026.
Legal light on Apishapa SWA, opener by opener
Big game light near Apishapa SWA starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; turkeys, small game and ducks end at sunset.
| Day | Marker | Sun up | Sun down | Elk and deer | Turkey and ducks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:27 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 7:56 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:35 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:41 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Second rifle opens | 7:12 a.m. | 6:09 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 6:39 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 6:09 p.m. |
| Oct 28, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:16 a.m. | 6:04 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:34 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:04 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 6:43 a.m. | 4:42 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:06 a.m. | 4:42 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure and the Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Time); checked November 5, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Landscape and game around Apishapa SWA
Public and private ranges before Apishapa State Wildlife Area
Huerfano County holds the CPW-listed range nearest Apishapa State Wildlife Area: Lathrop State Park Archery Range (33 miles).
From the CPW Shooting Range Finder, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 5, 2026.
Quick answers about Apishapa SWA
Which special elk rules cover Apishapa SWA?
Outside the mandatory CWD elk units; deer testing is not required anywhere in 2026. Antler points do not matter for legality here.
What is the closest town with services to Apishapa SWA?
The closest town with a page here is Hoehne (27 miles).
Where do I report trouble on Apishapa SWA?
CPW Area 11 Office in Pueblo, 719-561-5300; CPW offices close on state holidays.
Must I wear blaze orange or pink on Apishapa SWA?
Yes for firearm big game: 500 square inches of fluorescent orange or pink on the upper body and a matching head covering. Camo orange does not count.
Is it legal to hunt over bait on Apishapa SWA?
No. It is illegal to hunt big game, turkey, small game or migratory birds over bait in Colorado, whoever placed it.
When does big game light begin and end on Apishapa SWA?
Big game 5:56 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. on November 7, 2026 at the Las Animas County centre; turkey, small game and ducks stop at sunset.
Where do hunters sleep when they hunt Apishapa SWA?
Off the property: no camping icon shows on the CPW page.
Which agency page should I check for Apishapa SWA?
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife page has the current rules.
What does it take to hunt Apishapa SWA legally?
The SWA rule applies: 16 and older need a Colorado hunting or fishing license, or the wildlife area pass.
What acreage does the record give for Apishapa SWA?
All told it takes in 7,935 acres.
Which county sheriff and county roads serve Apishapa SWA?
GIS puts it in Las Animas County.
What hunt code unit applies to Apishapa SWA?
It overlaps GMU 133 and GMU 134.
Are there date or time limits on Apishapa SWA?
Open for public access August 16 to May. 31.
What game can be hunted on Apishapa SWA?
The agency lists deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, doves, scaled quail and rabbits.
Apishapa SWA: the final check
Property rules, closures and reservation needs on Apishapa SWA can change mid-season; posted signs and the agency page have the last word.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure. Checked November 5, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Ligocsicnarf89 (CC BY 4.0); lostinfog (CC BY-SA 2.0); Larry Lamsa (CC BY 2.0).