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SWA · 2026-27 seasons
Piceance State Wildlife Area hunting, unit by unit
State wildlife area in Rio Blanco County and Garfield County; 25,193 acres.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Piceance State Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Piceance State Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 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.
Inside the Piceance SWA listing
25,193 acres is the figure the CPW SWA page gives for Piceance SWA. Rank by area: 3rd of the 224 state wildlife areas we cover. It is one of 8 state wildlife areas inside Rio Blanco County. It falls in CPW Area 6 and Area 7, Northwest Region, where the Meeker W, DeBeque and Rangely district wildlife manager patrols. For Piceance SWA, the page gives 970-878-6090 at the Area CPW Office, Meeker office. CPW printed deer, elk, rabbit, dusky grouse, dove, waterfowl under hunting for Piceance SWA in the 2026 brochure. Fishing line in the brochure: cold-water lake. Recreation entry: camping in designated areas, wildlife viewing. Camping is shown as available on the Piceance SWA page.
Species the agency lists here: Deer, Elk, Waterfowl, Doves, Dusky grouse, Rabbits.
Activity icons: Hunting, Fishing, Nature Viewing Facilities Restrooms.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 22 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Piceance State Wildlife Area
Access rules on Piceance SWA
Like every SWA, Piceance 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 Piceance SWA:
- Discharging firearms or bows prohibited in designated safety zones or as posted on Little Hills Unit.
- Camping allowed.
- Camping allowed in designated areas only on the Yellow Creek and Square S Units.
- Fires allowed within a containment structure.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Directions and maps for Piceance SWA
Printed directions: Square S Summer Range: From Meeker, go 20 miles W on Highway 64 to CR 5 (Piceance Creek Road), then go 17 miles S to CR 26 (Black Sulphur Creek Road), then 20 miles W to E entrance. Yellow Creek Unit: From Meeker, go 20 miles W on Highway 64 to CR 5 (Piceance Creek Road), then go 6 miles S to CR 20 (dirt road), then 5 miles W to Yellow Creek Road Little Hills Experiment Station: From Meeker, go 20 miles W on Highway 64 to CR 5 (Piceance Creek Road), then 7 miles S to CR 22. Follow signs to station (3 miles).
Mapped centre: 40.0484, -108.2144.
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 (4 polygons) (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 5, 2026.
Unit map facts for Piceance SWA
Check the license against the unit; Piceance SWA falls in 3 GMUs: GMU 21, GMU 22, GMU 31.
Bull elk hunters in GMU 21, GMU 22 and GMU 31 must count points before shooting. CWD sampling is required for some rifle elk hunt codes in GMU 21, GMU 22 and GMU 31. The lion season closes when group 1 reaches its limit.
| GMU | Covers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GMU 21 | Rio Blanco, Garfield | elk antler point rule, elk CWD testing, lion group 1 |
| GMU 22 | Rio Blanco, Garfield | elk antler point rule, elk CWD testing, lion group 1 |
| GMU 31 | Garfield, Mesa, Rio Blanco | elk antler point rule, elk CWD testing, lion group 1 |
There is no property-level harvest figure for Piceance SWA; GMU 22 topped the 2024 unit tables with 770 elk.
| Unit | Animal | Harvest | Hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 21 | Elk | 324 | 1,992 | 16% |
| GMU 21 | Deer | 333 | 420 | 79% |
| GMU 21 | Black bear | 5 | – | – |
| GMU 22 | Elk | 770 | 2,668 | 29% |
| GMU 22 | Deer | 293 | 494 | 59% |
| GMU 22 | Pronghorn | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| GMU 22 | Black bear | 7 | – | – |
| GMU 31 | Elk | 453 | 1,597 | 28% |
| GMU 31 | Deer | 253 | 467 | 54% |
| GMU 31 | Pronghorn | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| GMU 31 | Black bear | 3 | – | – |
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.
Piceance SWA: which hunts are open when
25 big game season rows from the 2026 brochures are valid in the units of Piceance SWA. No draw is needed for the elk OTC rows. Not listed: 9 private-only or RFW rows. Rows for big game not on the Piceance SWA list (10) are left out.
| Species | Method | Sex | License | Opens | Closes | Units here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Archery | cow | Limited, nonresident | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Archery | cow | OTC, residents | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Archery | either sex | Limited, nonresident | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Archery | either sex | OTC, residents | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | cow | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Rifle | either sex | Limited draw | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Second rifle | bull | OTC | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Third rifle | bull | OTC | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Rifle | either sex | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited, late | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 22 |
| Elk | Rifle | cow | Limited, late | Dec 15, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | 31 |
| Deer | Archery | buck | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 21 |
| Deer | Archery | either sex | Limited draw | Sep 2, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | 22, 31 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | buck | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | doe | Limited draw | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | 22 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Deer | Rifle | doe | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 22 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 21, 22, 31 |
| Deer | Rifle | doe | Limited draw | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | 22 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Nov 18, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | 22, 31 |
Other listed game
| Bird or animal | Season | Zone | First day | Last day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dusky grouse | Season | West of I-25 | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 |
| Mourning dove | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Ducks and coots | Season (split) | Western zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| 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.
Other public ground within reach of Piceance SWA
Head 3 miles northeast and you reach Rio Blanco Lake SWA. Around it on the map: 4 trust land parcels and 2 SWAs.
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | County | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Blanco Lake SWA | SWA | 383 | Rio Blanco | 3 miles | northeast |
| Colorow Mountain SWA | SWA | 1,982 | Rio Blanco | 10 miles | northeast |
| Ted's Canyon STL | State trust land | 640 | Moffat | 13 miles | north |
| Citadel STL | State trust land | 640 | Moffat | 15 miles | north |
| Pinon Ridge STL | State trust land | 640 | Moffat | 16 miles | northwest |
| Elk Springs No. 1 STL | State trust land | 640 | Moffat | 17 miles | north |
Point: CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (4 polygons) (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 Piceance SWA
From the Piceance SWA point, Meeker sits 17 miles away. Rifle, 42 miles out, is larger, with 10,663 people in 2024. For licenses in person, the Meeker CPW office is 14 miles off.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meeker | Rio Blanco | 2,390 | 17 miles | east |
| Rangely | Rio Blanco | 2,289 | 30 miles | west |
| Maybell | Moffat | – | 33 miles | north |
| Rifle | Garfield | 10,663 | 42 miles | southeast |
| Dinosaur | Moffat | 247 | 44 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.
Clock times for hunting Piceance SWA
The CPW brochures print Denver sunrise and sunset tables with town offsets; the times for Piceance 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 | 6:24 a.m. | 8:12 p.m. | 5:54 a.m. to 8:42 p.m. | 5:54 a.m. to 8:12 p.m. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:41 a.m. | 7:45 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:50 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 7:29 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:10 a.m. | 6:54 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 6:54 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Second rifle opens | 7:32 a.m. | 6:22 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 6:52 p.m. | 7:02 a.m. to 6:22 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 7:07 a.m. | 4:53 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 4:53 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:31 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 4:51 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 Piceance SWA looks like
Piceance State Wildlife Area: the nearest public range, then clubs
Hayden Shooting Range is 60 miles from Piceance State Wildlife Area and is the nearest public range in CPW’s finder. 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.
Questions about Piceance SWA, answered
Which pass must I carry on Piceance 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 Piceance SWA?
Read the official source before each trip.
Which county lines does Piceance SWA cross?
Rio Blanco County and Garfield County; the county page lists the nearby ground.
What size is Piceance SWA on the agency count?
The CPW SWA page lists 25,193 acres.
Which animals does the agency list for Piceance SWA?
On record: deer, elk, waterfowl, doves, dusky grouse and rabbits. Seasons and licenses still decide what is open.
Which GMU numbers does Piceance SWA fall in?
The ground lies in GMU 21, GMU 22 and GMU 31, and a big game license must be valid for the unit.
Do elk point rules or CWD testing apply on Piceance SWA?
Elk point rules: GMU 21, GMU 22 and GMU 31. CWD heads must be submitted from selected rifle elk hunt codes in GMU 21, GMU 22 and GMU 31, at no charge.
How do I get an elk tag for Piceance SWA?
Yes: 4 over-the-counter elk rows are valid in these units, for example archery (OTC, residents).
Whom should I phone with questions about Piceance SWA?
Area CPW Office in Meeker, 970-878-6090.
Which community sits nearest to Piceance SWA?
Meeker (17 miles).
What does the bait law mean on Piceance SWA?
You may not hunt big game over salt, minerals, grain, animal parts or other food, whether or not you placed it.
What must I wear on Piceance 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 Piceance SWA?
Yes, in authorized spots.
When must I stop shooting on Piceance SWA each evening?
6:18 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. for big game on November 7, 2026 (Rio Blanco County, NOAA solar formula). See the table above for other dates.
Plan the Piceance SWA trip
Snow and mud close roads in Colorado without much notice; check access to Piceance 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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Larry Lamsa (CC BY 2.0); btrentler (CC BY 2.0).