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SWA · CPW-managed ground
Hunt Paddock State Wildlife Area: units, rules and dates
State wildlife area in Lake County; 1,300 acres.
Photo: Christine Warner-Morin (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Paddock State Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Paddock State Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 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.
Inside the Paddock SWA listing
1,300 acres is the figure the CPW SWA page gives for Paddock SWA. Rank by area: 88th of the 224 state wildlife areas we cover. It falls in CPW Area 13, Southeast Region, where the Leadville district wildlife manager patrols. For Paddock SWA, the page gives 719-530-5520 at the Area CPW Office, Salida office. No camping icon appears on the Paddock SWA page.
Species the agency lists here: Deer, Elk, Bighorn sheep, Black bear.
Activity icons: Hunting, Fishing.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 21 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Paddock State Wildlife Area
Access rules on Paddock SWA
Like every SWA, Paddock SWA asks people 16 and older for a Colorado hunting or fishing license or the wildlife area pass. Off-road driving is out, and so is camping outside authorized sites. The stand rule is portable equipment only, placed no earlier than 30 days before the season. No shooting a firearm or bow in parking, camping or picnic areas.
Property restrictions for Paddock SWA:
- Access restricted from August 15 to November 30 for hunting during bighorn sheep, regular rifle deer, elk and bear seasons only. Must have valid license for species being hunted.
- Fishing allowed only in Iowa Gulch and Upper Empire Gulch.
- Dogs prohibited.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Directions and maps for Paddock SWA
Printed directions: SWA in scattered parcels generally 2 to 5 miles S and SE of Leadville in Iowa, Thompson and Empire gulches. Accessible by CR 2 or CR 52. Acquire map and information from CPW Area Office in Salida or USFS Ranger Office in Leadville.
Mapped centre: 39.2039, -106.2071.
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.
Unit map facts for Paddock SWA
Check the license against the unit; Paddock SWA falls in 1 GMU: GMU 49.
No elk antler point rule applies in these units. CWD sampling is required for some rifle elk hunt codes in GMU 49. The lion season closes when group 8 reaches its limit.
There is no property-level harvest figure for Paddock SWA; GMU 49 topped the 2024 unit tables with 378 elk.
| GMU | Game | Animals taken | Hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 49 | Elk | 378 | 971 | 39% |
| GMU 49 | Deer | 343 | 729 | 47% |
| GMU 49 | Pronghorn | 2 | 24 | 7% |
| GMU 49 | 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.
Paddock SWA: which hunts are open when
24 big game season rows from the 2026 brochures are valid in the units of Paddock SWA. Big game here is draw-only. Not listed: 3 private-only or RFW rows. Rows for big game not on the Paddock SWA list (17) are left out.
| Species | Method | Sex | License | Opens | Closes | Units here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Archery | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | bull | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | cow | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited, split | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited, split | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | bull | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 49 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited, split | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 49 |
| Deer | Archery | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 49 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | buck | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 49 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | doe | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 49 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 49 |
| Deer | Rifle | doe | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 49 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 49 |
| Deer | Rifle | doe | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 49 |
| Black bear | Archery | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 49 |
| Black bear | Rifle | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 49 |
| Black bear | Muzzleloader | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 49 |
| Black bear | Rifle | either sex | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 49 |
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.
Other public ground within reach of Paddock SWA
Head 7 miles west and you reach Crystal Lake STL. Around it on the map: 5 trust land parcels and 1 SWA. Within 25 miles but not open to hunters: Reddy State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting), Headwaters Ranch State Wildlife Area (Fishing Easement) (CPW lists no hunting) and Hardeman State Wildlife Area (Fishing Easement) (CPW lists no hunting).
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lake STL | State trust land | 467 | Lake | 7 miles | west |
| Treasurevault Mountain STL | State trust land | 320 | Park | 8 miles | north |
| Box Creek STL | State trust land | 629 | Lake | 9 miles | southwest |
| Delmonica Gulch STL | State trust land | 320 | Lake | 10 miles | north |
| Clear Creek Reservoir SWA | SWA | 500 | Chaffee | 13 miles | south |
| High Creek STL | State trust land | 1,121 | Park | 14 miles | southeast |
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 Paddock SWA
From the Paddock SWA point, Leadville sits 6 miles away. Breckenridge, 22 miles out, is larger, with 4,892 people in 2024. For licenses in person, the Salida CPW office is 48 miles off.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadville | Lake | 2,624 | 6 miles | northwest |
| Fairplay | Park | 755 | 11 miles | east |
| Breckenridge | Summit | 4,892 | 22 miles | northeast |
| Minturn | Eagle | 955 | 25 miles | north |
| Hartsel | Park | – | 25 miles | southeast |
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.
Paddock SWA sunrise, sunset and shooting times
The CPW brochures print Denver sunrise and sunset tables with town offsets; the times for Paddock SWA here are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for its own location.
| Date | Opener | Sunrise | Sunset | Elk window | Duck window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Pronghorn bow opener | 6:18 a.m. | 8:03 p.m. | 5:48 a.m. to 8:33 p.m. | 5:48 a.m. to 8:03 p.m. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:34 a.m. | 7:37 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 8:07 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 7:37 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:43 a.m. | 7:21 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:51 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:02 a.m. | 6:47 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 7:17 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 6:47 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Second rifle opens | 7:23 a.m. | 6:16 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 6:16 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 6:57 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:21 a.m. | 4:45 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:45 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.
What the region around Paddock SWA looks like
Paddock State Wildlife Area hunters: public range plus clubs
For a no-dues line, Paddock State Wildlife Area hunters head 20 miles to Park County Shooting Range. After the public range come the nearest clubs within 30 miles.
From the CPW Shooting Range Finder, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 5, 2026.
Paddock SWA FAQ from the agency sources
Do elk point rules or CWD testing apply on Paddock SWA?
None of these units is on the antler point list. CWD heads must be submitted from selected rifle elk hunt codes in GMU 49, at no charge.
How do I get an elk tag for Paddock SWA?
No over-the-counter elk in these GMUs (13 limited rows). Primary draw applications ran March 1 to April 7, 2026.
Whom should I phone with questions about Paddock SWA?
Area CPW Office in Salida, 719-530-5520.
Where should I stay when hunting Paddock SWA?
Leadville is your nearest base, 6 miles off.
Can I set out bait, salt or grain on Paddock SWA?
No bait for big game, turkey, small game or birds; normal agricultural salt and mineral blocks are the only exception for big game.
What must I wear on Paddock SWA 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.
Is there an authorized camp area on Paddock SWA?
Look for a campground nearby; none is listed here.
When must I stop shooting on Paddock SWA each evening?
6:09 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. for big game on November 7, 2026 (Lake County, NOAA solar formula). See the table above for other dates.
Which pass must I carry on Paddock SWA?
No separate permit in most cases: a hunting or fishing license (or SWA Pass) for everyone 16+, unless the restrictions here say otherwise.
Where can I read the source for Paddock SWA?
Read the official source before each trip.
What counties does Paddock SWA reach into?
Inside Lake County.
What size is Paddock SWA on the agency count?
The CPW SWA page lists 1,300 acres.
Does Paddock SWA keep set hours or dates?
The restrictions say: Access restricted from August 15 to November 30 for hunting during bighorn sheep, regular rifle deer, elk and bear seasons only. Must have valid license for species being hunted.
Which GMU numbers does Paddock SWA fall in?
The ground lies in GMU 49, and a big game license must be valid for the unit.
Which animals does the agency list for Paddock SWA?
On record: deer, elk, bighorn sheep and black bear. Seasons and licenses still decide what is open.
One last look at Paddock SWA
Snow and mud close roads in Colorado without much notice; check access to Paddock SWA 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: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); NPS Photo (Public domain).