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Melon Valley State Wildlife Area hunting access and seasons
State wildlife area in Otero County, about 278 acres.
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith / rawpixel (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Melon Valley State Wildlife Area
Melon Valley SWA: licenses, dates and restrictions
Anyone 16 or older on Melon Valley SWA needs a valid Colorado hunting or fishing license or a State Wildlife Area Pass, unless the property rules below say otherwise. Stay on open roads in a vehicle and use only authorized camp spots. Portable blinds and tree stands are the only kind allowed, and not earlier than 30 days before the season. Firearms and bows may not be discharged in parking lots, camps or picnic grounds.
Rules posted for this property:
- On weekends, hunting limited to youth/mentor hunting; only 1 mentor per youth may hunt. Mentor must be 18 years of age or older and hold a valid hunter education certificate or be born before January 1, 1949, and have a proper and valid hunting or fishing license.
- Camping allowed August 15 to May 31.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Melon Valley State Wildlife Area
Melon Valley SWA at a glance
Measured by the CPW SWA page, Melon Valley SWA runs to 278 acres. Sorted by acreage, Melon Valley SWA sits at number 169 of the 224 state wildlife areas in this guide. Counting Melon Valley SWA, Otero County has 5 state wildlife areas. On the CPW map it sits in Area 12 (Southeast Region) and the La Junta N district. The office named for Melon Valley SWA is Area CPW Office, Lamar; the number is 719-336-6600. Plan on camping where CPW allows it.
You can pursue, by the agency list: Small game.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 19 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
2026-27 seasons for the game on Melon Valley SWA
For Melon Valley SWA the list holds no big game; the table covers the listed species.
| Game | Season | Where | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottontail | Season | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
Season rows from the 2026 Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; property rules still apply; checked November 5, 2026.
GMU rules that reach Melon Valley SWA
GMU overlay for Melon Valley SWA (1 unit): GMU 125.
The antler point restriction list does not include any unit here. Group 19 set the lion harvest limit here.
GMU totals from 2024 give a sense of the game: GMU 125 produced 64 deer.
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.
Melon Valley SWA route and map files
Route, per the brochure: Go 2 miles N of Hwys. 71 and 50, then go 1 mile E of Highway 71 on Road 80.5.
Coordinates used on this page: 38.0911, -103.7220.
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.
Supply towns and CPW help near Melon Valley SWA
The handiest town is Ordway, 9 miles off in a straight line. A bigger stop is Pueblo: population 111,166 in 2024. CPW Pueblo Office is the closest CPW office, about 52 miles.
| Town | County | People (2024) | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordway | Crowley | 1,067 | 9 miles | north |
| La Junta | Otero | 6,986 | 12 miles | southeast |
| Las Animas | Bent | 2,361 | 27 miles | east |
| Hasty | Bent | – | 41 miles | east |
| Pueblo | Pueblo | 111,166 | 50 miles | west |
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.
Melon Valley SWA and the land around it
If Melon Valley SWA is busy, Rocky Ford SWA lies 4 miles to the southeast. Close by you will find 3 SWAs and 3 trust land parcels. No hunting at Horse Creek Reservoir State Wildlife Area (Timber Lake) (CPW lists no hunting) and Dawn Pond State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Ford SWA | SWA | 1,142 | Otero | 4 miles | southeast |
| Holbrook Reservoir SWA | SWA | 670 | Otero | 6 miles | east |
| Timpas Creek SWA | SWA | 141 | Otero | 9 miles | south |
| Timberlake STL | State trust land | 59,445 | Otero | 13 miles | northeast |
| La Junta STL | State trust land | 6,715 | Otero | 14 miles | east |
| Round Top STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 16 miles | south |
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.
Game and terrain near Melon Valley SWA
Melon Valley SWA: when the legal day starts and ends
Walk-In Access properties open an hour before sunrise and close an hour after sunset, two hours for waterfowl, deer, elk and pronghorn hunters.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Rifle hours | Shotgun hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:25 a.m. | 7:25 p.m. | 5:55 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. | 5:55 a.m. to 7:25 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:33 a.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 7:10 p.m. |
| Oct 28, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:15 a.m. | 6:02 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 6:32 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 6:43 a.m. | 4:40 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:07 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 4:39 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.
Public and private ranges before Melon Valley State Wildlife Area
Pueblo County holds the CPW-listed range nearest Melon Valley State Wildlife Area: Bighorn Archery Range (63 miles). Beside it sit the closest club ranges inside 30 miles.
From the CPW Shooting Range Finder, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 5, 2026.
Melon Valley SWA: questions hunters ask
Which game management units cover Melon Valley SWA?
The CPW GMU layer gives GMU 125.
What animals can be hunted on Melon Valley SWA?
Small game.
Is CWD testing required for elk from Melon Valley SWA?
Testing is optional in these units; CPW charges $25 for a voluntary test. The antler point rule does not reach these GMUs.
Where do I buy gas and ice near Melon Valley SWA?
Ordway is 9 miles from the record point.
Which CPW contact handles Melon Valley SWA?
Area CPW Office in Lamar, 719-336-6600. Poaching tips can go to CPW Turn In Poachers.
Orange or pink on Melon Valley SWA?
Solid orange or pink, at least 500 square inches above the waist, and a hat, for firearm deer, elk, pronghorn, moose and bear.
Can deer or elk be baited on Melon Valley SWA?
No. Deer and elk may not be hunted over bait; migratory bird hunters also follow the federal 10-day baited-area rule.
What legal shooting hours apply on Melon Valley SWA in November?
Big game: half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. On November 7, 2026 that works out to 5:56 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. in Otero County (NOAA solar formula).
Is camping allowed on Melon Valley SWA?
The CPW page shows camping as an amenity; camp only where authorized.
Is there an official website for Melon Valley SWA?
Yes, run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife: the official page.
Is there an entry fee or permit for Melon Valley SWA?
Carry a Colorado hunting or fishing license or a State Wildlife Area Pass if you are 16 or older.
Roughly how much country does Melon Valley SWA take in?
About 278 acres in all.
Which county sheriff and county roads serve Melon Valley SWA?
GIS puts it in Otero County.
Wrap-up for Melon Valley SWA
Confirm your hunt code, GMU and the open dates for Melon Valley SWA before you load the truck.
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: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); NPS Photo (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).