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SWA · Yuma County
Sandy Bluffs State Wildlife Area, a guide for Colorado hunters
State wildlife area in Yuma County (3,202 acres).
Photo: Max and Dee Bernt (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Sandy Bluffs State Wildlife Area
Entry requirements for Sandy Bluffs SWA
The statewide SWA rule covers Sandy Bluffs SWA: visitors 16+ carry a hunting license, a fishing license or the State Wildlife Area Pass. Keep trucks on open roads; pitch a tent only in places CPW allows. A blind or stand must be portable and can be placed at most 30 days before the season. Discharge of firearms or bows is banned in parking, camping and picnic areas.
Site rules from CPW:
- Open 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., September 1 to May 31.
- Dog training prohibited.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Sandy Bluffs State Wildlife Area
What the agency says about Sandy Bluffs SWA
Going by the CPW SWA page, Sandy Bluffs SWA covers 3,202 acres. 224 state wildlife areas appear on this site, and by acres Sandy Bluffs SWA comes 42nd. Within Yuma County there are 7 state wildlife areas on file. For CPW purposes Sandy Bluffs SWA belongs to Area 3 in the Northeast Region, district Yuma/Wray. In the 2026 brochure the hunting entry reads: deer, turkey, dove, rabbit, squirrel. Non-hunting uses noted: wildlife viewing. The CPW page marks camping as not offered on Sandy Bluffs SWA.
The listed quarry: Deer, Wild turkey, Doves, Rabbits, Squirrels.
Allowed activities per CPW: Hunting, Nature Viewing.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 25 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Open seasons by unit on Sandy Bluffs SWA
In all, 15 public-land season rows apply in these GMUs. OTC options in these units: wild turkey. Private-land-only and ranch rows (4) are not shown. 8 unit rows for unlisted game are omitted. Note: spring turkey shows 2026 dates until CPW prints 2027.
| Game | Method | Sex | Sale | Opens | Closes | GMUs here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | either sex | Limited draw | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 102 |
| Deer | Season choice | doe | Limited draw | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 102 |
| Deer | Season choice | either sex | Limited draw | Oct 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | 102 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | buck | Limited draw | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 102 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | doe | Limited draw | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | 102 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 3, 2026 | 102 |
| Deer | Rifle | doe | Limited draw | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 3, 2026 | 102 |
| Deer | Rifle | buck | Limited, late | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 14, 2026 | 102 |
| Deer | Rifle | doe | Limited, late | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 14, 2026 | 102 |
| Wild turkey | Spring | – | Limited draw | Apr 11, 2026 | May 1, 2026 | 102 |
| Wild turkey | Spring | – | OTC | Apr 11, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | 102 |
| Wild turkey | Spring | – | Limited draw | May 2, 2026 | May 31, 2026 | 102 |
| Wild turkey | Fall | – | Limited, late | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | 102 |
| Wild turkey | Fall | – | Limited, youth | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | 102 |
| Wild turkey | Fall | – | OTC | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | 102 |
Small game, birds and furbearers
| Game | Hunt | Area | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mourning dove | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Fox squirrel | Season | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Cottontail | Season | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Abert's squirrel | Season | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Jan 15, 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.
Which units cover Sandy Bluffs SWA
The CPW unit layer puts Sandy Bluffs SWA in 1 GMU: GMU 102.
No antler point limit on bulls in the units of Sandy Bluffs SWA. Lion hunters check the quota for group 19 before going out.
Read these as whole-unit numbers: the biggest 2024 total among them was 103 deer in GMU 102.
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.
Finding Sandy Bluffs SWA on the ground
Directions from the 2026 brochure: From Idalia, go 8.5 miles N on CR DD at Arikaree River.
Its map point, 39.8170, -102.3208, comes from the boundary layer.
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.
Towns and outfitters within reach of Sandy Bluffs SWA
Count on Idalia, about 8 miles out, as the first town for supplies. Census 2024 counts 3,171 people in Burlington, the largest nearby. The nearest CPW office is in Brush, 76 miles away.
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idalia | Yuma | – | 8 miles | south |
| Wray | Yuma | 2,363 | 19 miles | north |
| Burlington | Kit Carson | 3,171 | 36 miles | south |
| Holyoke | Phillips | 2,296 | 53 miles | north |
| Akron | Washington | 1,745 | 53 miles | northwest |
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.
Public places a short drive from Sandy Bluffs SWA
The closest other public ground is Sandy Bluffs STL, 1 mile to the south. Within the six nearest places are 5 trust land parcels and 1 SWA.
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Bluffs STL | State trust land | 3,682 | Yuma | 1 mile | south |
| Hay Gulch Overlook STL | State trust land | 640 | Yuma | 5 miles | southwest |
| Beecher Island STL | State trust land | 320 | Yuma | 8 miles | northeast |
| Black Wolf Creek STL | State trust land | 320 | Yuma | 8 miles | northeast |
| South Fork Spring Canyon STL | State trust land | 640 | Yuma | 9 miles | southwest |
| Simmons SWA | SWA | 2,157 | Yuma | 10 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.
A look at the country near Sandy Bluffs SWA
Legal light on Sandy Bluffs SWA, opener by opener
In Sandy Bluffs SWA, the light goose conservation order and furbearer hunting both run to half an hour after sunset.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game hours | Bird hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:17 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 5:47 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 5:47 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:01 a.m. | 6:09 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 6:39 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 6:09 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 6:43 a.m. | 4:29 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 4:29 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:08 a.m. | 4:27 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:27 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.
Sandy Bluffs State Wildlife Area: the nearest public range, then clubs
North Sterling State Park Archery Range is 84 miles from Sandy Bluffs 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.
Quick answers about Sandy Bluffs SWA
What license or pass gets me onto Sandy Bluffs SWA?
Anyone 16 or older needs a Colorado hunting or fishing license or a State Wildlife Area Pass, plus the license for the game you hunt.
Where do I confirm the rules for Sandy Bluffs SWA?
Check the agency page run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Which county lines does Sandy Bluffs SWA cross?
Yuma County; the county page lists the nearby ground.
How much room is there to roam on Sandy Bluffs SWA?
Listed size: 3,202 acres.
Are there date or time limits on Sandy Bluffs SWA?
Open 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., September 1 to May 31.
Which GMUs does Sandy Bluffs SWA overlap?
Units on the CPW layer: GMU 102.
CWD and antler rules for Sandy Bluffs SWA?
No elk antler point restriction in these units. No mandatory CWD testing GMU here; deer testing is not mandatory in 2026.
Which game does Sandy Bluffs SWA hold?
Deer, wild turkey, doves, rabbits and squirrels, by the agency list.
Who can answer a question about conditions on Sandy Bluffs SWA?
Phone CPW Brush Office in Brush, (970) 842-6300 (76 miles away).
What is the closest town with services to Sandy Bluffs SWA?
The closest town with a page here is Idalia (8 miles).
Is it legal to hunt over bait on Sandy Bluffs SWA?
No. It is illegal to hunt big game, turkey, small game or migratory birds over bait in Colorado, whoever placed it.
What blaze orange rule applies on Sandy Bluffs SWA?
With any firearm license for deer, elk, pronghorn, moose or bear: 500 square inches of solid orange or pink above the waist plus an orange or pink hat.
Does the CPW page show camping for Sandy Bluffs SWA?
Camping is not offered here.
What clock times bound legal hunting on Sandy Bluffs SWA?
Half an hour either side of the sun for big game, which on November 7, 2026 means 5:55 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. in Yuma County.
Sandy Bluffs SWA: the final check
Use this page to plan, then reread the agency page for Sandy Bluffs SWA the week before the trip.
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: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); Russ (CC BY 2.0); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0).