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State park in the CPW Northeast Region
Barr Lake State Park hunting access and seasons
State park in Adams County; 1,164 acres.
Photo: William Andrus (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Barr Lake State Park
Inside the Barr Lake State Park listing
1,164 acres is the figure the 2026 Colorado State Recreation Lands brochure gives for Barr Lake State Park. The mapped CPW parcels measure 2,800 acres in GIS, so the outline and the listed figure do not match exactly. Rank by area: 21st of the 31 state parks with hunting we cover. It falls in CPW Area 5, Northeast Region, where the Brighton district wildlife manager patrols.
Species the agency lists here: Waterfowl, Doves.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 59 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Barr Lake State Park
Access rules on Barr Lake State Park
Vehicles entering Barr Lake State Park display a state parks pass. Rule #100.b.3 of the park regulations: designated areas and seasons only.
Park regulations, hunting items:
- Only shotguns loaded with birdshot may be used for waterfowl hunting during the regular waterfowl hunting seasons, in the areas and at the times posted.
- Shotguns loaded with birdshot may also be used for dove hunting in the areas and at the times posted.
- All hunters must register prior to beginning hunting and check out at the conclusion of hunting, at the hunter registration area.
From the agency source, 2026 State Park Land and Water Regulations; checked November 5, 2026.
Barr Lake State Park route and map files
Mapped centre: 39.9450, -104.7622.
point from CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (1 polygon) (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 5, 2026.
Unit map facts for Barr Lake State Park
Check the license against the unit; Barr Lake State Park falls in 1 GMU: GMU 104.
No elk antler point rule applies in these units. The lion season closes when group 20 reaches its limit.
There is no property-level harvest figure for Barr Lake State Park; GMU 104 topped the 2024 unit tables with 512 deer.
| GMU | Animal | Taken | Hunters | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 104 | Elk | 230 | 432 | 53% |
| GMU 104 | Deer | 512 | 1,015 | 50% |
| GMU 104 | Pronghorn | 292 | 419 | 70% |
| GMU 104 | Black bear | 1 | – | – |
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.
Barr Lake State Park: which hunts are open when
Only small game or birds are listed for Barr Lake State Park.
| Bird or animal | Season | Zone | First day | Last day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mourning dove | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Ducks and coots | Season (split) | Mountain zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Ducks and coots | Season (split) | Northeast zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Dark geese | Season | except zone | Nov 2, 2026 | Feb 14, 2027 |
Season rows from the 2026 Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; property rules still apply; checked November 5, 2026.
Other public ground within reach of Barr Lake State Park
Head 1 mile south and you reach Whitehorse SWA. Around it on the map: 3 trust land parcels, 2 SWAs and 1 wildlife refuge. Within 25 miles but not open to hunters: St. Vrain State Park (no hunting designation), Cherry Creek State Park (no hunting designation) and Sawhill Ponds State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitehorse SWA | SWA | 400 | Adams | 1 mile | south |
| Banner Lakes SWA | SWA | 934 | Weld | 14 miles | northeast |
| Prospect STL | State trust land | 140 | Weld | 14 miles | east |
| Lost Creek STL | State trust land | 640 | Weld | 22 miles | northeast |
| Rocky Flats NWR | Refuge | 6,560 | Jefferson | 24 miles | west |
| South Roggen STL | State trust land | 1,880 | Weld | 27 miles | northeast |
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.
Stores, processors and towns for Barr Lake State Park
From the Barr Lake State Park point, Brighton sits 2 miles away. Denver, 14 miles out, is larger, with 729,019 people in 2024. For licenses in person, the Denver CPW office is 15 miles off.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | Adams | 43,473 | 2 miles | northwest |
| Commerce City | Adams | 70,245 | 5 miles | south |
| Thornton | Adams | 146,689 | 10 miles | west |
| Northglenn | Adams | 38,287 | 12 miles | west |
| Denver | Denver | 729,019 | 14 miles | southwest |
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.
Barr Lake State Park: when the legal day starts and ends
The CPW brochures print Denver sunrise and sunset tables with town offsets; the times for Barr Lake State Park here are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for its own location.
| Date | Opener | Sunrise | Sunset | Elk window | Duck window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:25 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 5:55 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. | 5:55 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:34 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:08 a.m. | 6:17 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:47 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:17 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Second rifle opens | 7:16 a.m. | 6:07 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:07 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 6:51 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:15 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 4:35 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.
Classes and banquets near Barr Lake State Park
Near this ground as of November 4, 2026: 1 listing ahead, starting with CPW Whitehorse SWA Youth Waterfowl Orientation.
| When | Title | Miles off | Location | Register or details | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2026 | CPW Whitehorse SWA Youth Waterfowl Orientation · youth waterfowl orientation in Brighton | On this land | Barr Lake State Park in Brighton, Adams County | Register | Source |
What the region around Barr Lake State Park looks like
Archery lanes at Barr Lake State Park
Check a zero before the hunt at Barr Lake State Park Archery Range, right on Barr Lake State Park.
From the CPW Shooting Range Finder, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 5, 2026.
Barr Lake State Park: questions hunters ask
What must I wear on Barr Lake State Park during rifle season?
At least 500 square inches of solid orange or pink above the waist and a hat; archers hunting during rifle seasons wear it too.
Whom should I phone with questions about Barr Lake State Park?
CPW Denver Office in Denver, (303) 291-7227 (15 miles away).
When must I stop shooting on Barr Lake State Park each evening?
6:02 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. for big game on November 7, 2026 (Adams County, NOAA solar formula). See the table above for other dates.
Can deer or elk be baited on Barr Lake State Park?
No. Deer and elk may not be hunted over bait; migratory bird hunters also follow the federal 10-day baited-area rule.
Where can I read the source for Barr Lake State Park?
Read the official source before each trip.
How do reservations work on Barr Lake State Park?
State park entrance pass required (daily vehicle pass or annual pass). Parks regulation #100.b.3: hunting is allowed only in areas designated by the Division during hunting seasons. Park-specific hunting rules: Only shotguns loaded with birdshot may be used for waterfowl hunting during the regular w
What size is Barr Lake State Park on the agency count?
The 2026 Colorado State Recreation Lands brochure lists 1,164 acres.
Which pass must I carry on Barr Lake State Park?
You need the parks pass and a hunting license, and you hunt only where the park designates.
Which GMU numbers does Barr Lake State Park fall in?
The ground lies in GMU 104, and a big game license must be valid for the unit.
Which county lines does Barr Lake State Park cross?
Adams County; the county page lists the nearby ground.
Do elk point rules or CWD testing apply on Barr Lake State Park?
None of these units is on the antler point list. These GMUs are not on the 2026 mandatory elk CWD list.
Which animals does the agency list for Barr Lake State Park?
On record: waterfowl and doves. Seasons and licenses still decide what is open.
Where do I buy gas and ice near Barr Lake State Park?
Brighton is 2 miles from the record point.
Wrap-up for Barr Lake State Park
Snow and mud close roads in Colorado without much notice; check access to Barr Lake State Park before the drive.
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: cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); lostinfog (CC BY-SA 2.0).