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Dan Noble State Wildlife Area: where and how to hunt
State wildlife area in San Miguel County, 2,223 acres.
Photo: Michael Kwok (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Dan Noble State Wildlife Area
Dan Noble SWA by the numbers
Dan Noble SWA takes in 2,223 acres according to the CPW SWA page. Note the gap between sources: the boundary layer holds 3,017 acres. Size places it 60th out of 224 state wildlife areas in Colorado. 2 state wildlife areas touch San Miguel County, and Dan Noble SWA is one of the set. Southwest Region, Area 18, Norwood district: that is the CPW chain for Dan Noble SWA. Contact on the property page: Area CPW Office, Montrose, phone 970-252-6000. The 2026 Recreation Lands brochure gives the hunting line for Dan Noble SWA as deer, elk, waterfowl on Greager Tract; deer, elk on John Kane tract. Fishing is listed too: cold-water lake. The brochure also notes power boating, sail surfing, waterskiing, camping, wildlife viewing. Overnight stays: camping is an offered amenity.
Hunting opportunities on record: Deer, Elk, Waterfowl.
Page activities: Hunting, Fishing, Boating, Water Activities, Nature Viewing.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 10 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Dan Noble State Wildlife Area
What Dan Noble SWA allows and forbids
At 16 and older, entry to Dan Noble 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 Dan Noble SWA:
- MIRAMONTE RES. TRACT:.
- Camping only in designated areas.
- Discharge of firearms and bows is prohibited, except while hunting.
- Launching and use of vessels allowed; trailered vessels must launch from boat ramps.
- Waterskiing permitted only 10 a.m. to sunset. Waterskiing, personal watercraft only in designated areas on W half of reservoir.
- Dogs must be under control and on leash by handler, except when actively hunting, training for hunting or during licensed field trials. GREAGER TRACT:.
- Open for public access March 1 to May 15 only with permit from Area or District Wildlife Manager for wildlife viewing. Viewing site limited to designated area. Viewers must follow all restrictions and conditions on permit. Open to the public for other access May 16 to end of February
- Access by foot or horseback only.
- Snowmobiles prohibited. JOHN KANE TRACT:.
- Access by foot or horseback only.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Route and map files for Dan Noble SWA
Brochure directions: From Norwood, go 1.5 miles E on Highway 145 to USFS Road 610 (Dolores-Norwood Road), then 17 miles S.
Dan Noble SWA is plotted at 37.9736, -108.3384 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 (3 polygons) (polygon centroid); checked November 5, 2026.
GMUs and unit rules on Dan Noble SWA
Big game licenses here are sold by unit, and Dan Noble SWA touches 1 GMU: GMU 70.
Elk antler point restrictions apply in GMU 70. Mandatory free CWD testing applies to listed rifle elk hunt codes in GMU 70. For lions, the units fall in harvest-limit group 12. Inside the lynx area: GMU 70.
CPW publishes harvest by GMU, not by property. In 2024, GMU 70 led these units with 1,275 elk taken.
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.
Dan Noble SWA season calendar by GMU
The units of Dan Noble SWA carry 13 big game seasons this year. You can buy an OTC license for elk here; other rows are limited. We dropped 9 rows valid only on private land or enrolled ranches. The table follows the species list for Dan Noble SWA, which removes 9 rows.
| Species | Season | Sex | Kind | From | To | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Archery | bull | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 70 |
| Elk | Archery | cow | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 70 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | bull | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 70 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | cow | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 70 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 70 |
| Elk | Second rifle | bull | OTC | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 70 |
| Elk | Third rifle | bull | OTC | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 70 |
| Deer | Archery | buck | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 70 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | buck | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 70 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 70 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 70 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 70 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 70 |
Seasons for the smaller game on the list
| Species | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ducks and coots | Season (split) | Western zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Jan 31, 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 Dan Noble SWA
Jim Olterman – Lone Cone SWA sits 8 miles south of the Dan Noble SWA point. Nearby public places include 4 trust land parcels and 2 SWAs. Neighbours closed to hunting: Groundhog Reservoir State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting), San Miguel State Wildlife Area (Fishing Easement: Applebaugh) (CPW lists no hunting) and Woods Lake State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting).
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Olterman – Lone Cone SWA | SWA | 5,030 | Dolores | 8 miles | south |
| Hamilton Mesa STL | State trust land | 640 | San Miguel | 8 miles | northwest |
| Dead Horse Creek STL | State trust land | 640 | San Miguel | 10 miles | west |
| Mckenna Peak STL | State trust land | 640 | San Miguel | 11 miles | southwest |
| South Mountain STL | State trust land | 640 | Dolores | 12 miles | south |
| Dry Creek Basin SWA | SWA | 12,775 | San Miguel | 12 miles | northwest |
Point: CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (3 polygons) (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Closed places from lands.json closed rows. Statewide public land map.
Dan Noble SWA: nearby towns, shops and the CPW office
Measured in a straight line, Norwood is 11 miles from Dan Noble SWA. For a full-size grocery run, Telluride (2,486 people) is the pick. You can reach the Montrose CPW office in about 42 miles of straight line.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwood | San Miguel | 523 | 11 miles | north |
| Redvale | Montrose | – | 15 miles | north |
| Telluride | San Miguel | 2,486 | 28 miles | east |
| Dove Creek | Dolores | 663 | 34 miles | southwest |
| Dolores | Montezuma | 937 | 36 miles | south |
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.
Shooting-light table for Dan Noble SWA
Big game light near Dan Noble 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 | 6:44 a.m. | 7:44 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 8:14 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 7:44 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:52 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:10 a.m. | 6:55 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 6:55 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Second rifle opens | 7:30 a.m. | 6:26 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 6:56 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 6:26 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 7:03 a.m. | 4:58 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:26 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 4:57 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 Dan Noble SWA
Public and private ranges before Dan Noble State Wildlife Area
La Plata County holds the CPW-listed range nearest Dan Noble State Wildlife Area: Bayfield Lions Club Shooting Range (62 miles).
From the CPW Shooting Range Finder, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 5, 2026.
Dan Noble SWA in brief, question by question
What hunt code unit applies to Dan Noble SWA?
It overlaps GMU 70.
What access limits apply on Dan Noble SWA?
Per the property rules, open for public access March 1 to May 15 only with permit from Area or District Wildlife Manager for wildlife viewing. Viewing site limited to designated area. Viewers must follow all restrictions and conditions on permit. Open to the public for other access May 16 to end of February
What game can be hunted on Dan Noble SWA?
The agency lists deer, elk and waterfowl.
Is elk on Dan Noble SWA draw only?
Yes, for part of the elk calendar: 2 rows, including second rifle (OTC). Leftover licenses went on sale August 4.
Which special elk rules cover Dan Noble SWA?
Free mandatory CWD tests apply to some rifle elk codes in GMU 70. GMU 70 carry the elk antler point restriction.
Which town makes the best base for Dan Noble SWA?
Norwood, about 11 miles away in a straight line.
Where do I report trouble on Dan Noble SWA?
Area CPW Office in Montrose, 970-252-6000; CPW offices close on state holidays.
Must I wear blaze orange or pink on Dan Noble 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.
May I use food lures for bear on Dan Noble SWA?
No. Food-scented sticks are illegal for bear, and knowingly luring bears with food breaks C.R.S. 33-6-131.
When does big game light begin and end on Dan Noble SWA?
Big game 6:15 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. on November 7, 2026 at the San Miguel County centre; turkey, small game and ducks stop at sunset.
Where do hunters sleep when they hunt Dan Noble SWA?
On the property, where CPW authorizes camping; the page icons show it.
Which agency page should I check for Dan Noble SWA?
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife page has the current rules.
What does it take to hunt Dan Noble 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 Dan Noble SWA?
All told it takes in 2,223 acres.
Which county sheriff and county roads serve Dan Noble SWA?
GIS puts it in San Miguel County.
Dan Noble SWA: double-check list
Property rules, closures and reservation needs on Dan Noble 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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Birding for Climate (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).