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Colorado state wildlife area · hunting
Timpas Creek State Wildlife Area: where and how to hunt
State wildlife area in Otero County, 141 acres.
Photo: Paul Hurtado (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Timpas Creek State Wildlife Area
Timpas Creek SWA by the numbers
Timpas Creek SWA takes in 141 acres according to the CPW SWA page. Size places it 191st out of 224 state wildlife areas in Colorado. 5 state wildlife areas touch Otero County, and Timpas Creek SWA is one of the set. Southeast Region, Area 12, La Junta S district: that is the CPW chain for Timpas Creek SWA. Contact on the property page: Area CPW Office, Lamar, phone 719-336-6600. The 2026 Recreation Lands brochure gives the hunting line for Timpas Creek SWA as rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, bobwhite quail, dove, waterfowl. The brochure also notes camping, wildlife viewing. Overnight stays: camping is an offered amenity.
Hunting opportunities on record: Waterfowl, Doves, Pheasant, Bobwhite, Rabbits, Squirrels.
Page activities: Hunting, Nature Viewing.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 27 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Timpas Creek State Wildlife Area
What Timpas Creek SWA allows and forbids
At 16 and older, entry to Timpas Creek 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 Timpas Creek SWA:
- Camping allowed August 15 to May 31.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Route and map files for Timpas Creek SWA
Brochure directions: From Rocky Ford, go 4 miles S on Highway 71 to Highway 10, then 2 miles E across Timpas Creek Bridge. Go 1 mile S on CR 21, then 1 mile W on CR Z.
Timpas Creek SWA is plotted at 37.9648, -103.7091 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 (1 polygon) (polygon centroid); checked November 5, 2026.
GMUs and unit rules on Timpas Creek SWA
Big game licenses here are sold by unit, and Timpas Creek SWA touches 1 GMU: GMU 135.
These GMUs sit outside the elk antler point restriction. For lions, the units fall in harvest-limit group 20.
CPW publishes harvest by GMU, not by property. In 2024, GMU 135 led these units with 76 pronghorn 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.
Timpas Creek SWA season calendar
Big game is not on the list for Timpas Creek SWA. Only the seasons for its listed game are shown.
| Species | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pheasant | Season 1 | East of I-25 | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Quail | Season 1 | East of I-25 | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Mourning dove | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 |
| Ducks and coots | Season | Southeast zone | Oct 28, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Dark geese | Season | except zone | Nov 2, 2026 | Feb 14, 2027 |
| 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 from the 2026 Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; property rules still apply; checked November 5, 2026.
Mapped neighbours of Timpas Creek SWA
Rocky Ford SWA sits 7 miles north of the Timpas Creek SWA point. Nearby public places include 3 SWAs and 3 trust land parcels. Neighbours closed to hunting: Horse Creek Reservoir State Wildlife Area (Timber Lake) (CPW lists no hunting) and Dawn Pond State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting).
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Ford SWA | SWA | 1,142 | Otero | 7 miles | north |
| Round Top STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 8 miles | southwest |
| Holbrook Reservoir SWA | SWA | 670 | Otero | 9 miles | northeast |
| Melon Valley SWA | SWA | 278 | Otero | 9 miles | north |
| East Timpas STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 9 miles | south |
| Crooked Arroyo STL | State trust land | 640 | Otero | 13 miles | south |
Point: CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (1 polygon) (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Closed places from lands.json closed rows. Statewide public land map.
Timpas Creek SWA: nearby towns, shops and the CPW office
Measured in a straight line, La Junta is 9 miles from Timpas Creek SWA. You can reach the Pueblo CPW office in about 55 miles of straight line.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Junta | Otero | 6,986 | 9 miles | east |
| Ordway | Crowley | 1,067 | 18 miles | north |
| Las Animas | Bent | 2,361 | 27 miles | east |
| Hasty | Bent | – | 41 miles | east |
| Kim | Las Animas | 65 | 53 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 Timpas Creek SWA
Big game light near Timpas Creek 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 | 6:25 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.
Landscape and game around Timpas Creek SWA
Range stops on the way to Timpas Creek State Wildlife Area
Mike Higbee State Wildlife Area Shooting Range (a Colorado hunting or fishing license or an SWA pass) is 65 miles from Timpas Creek State Wildlife Area. 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.
Timpas Creek SWA in brief, question by question
Which agency page should I check for Timpas Creek SWA?
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife page has the current rules.
What does it take to hunt Timpas Creek 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 Timpas Creek SWA?
All told it takes in 141 acres.
What part of Colorado holds Timpas Creek SWA?
Look in Otero County.
What hunt code unit applies to Timpas Creek SWA?
It overlaps GMU 135.
What game can be hunted on Timpas Creek SWA?
The agency lists waterfowl, doves, pheasant, bobwhite, rabbits and squirrels.
Which special elk rules cover Timpas Creek SWA?
Outside the mandatory CWD elk units; deer testing is not required anywhere in 2026. Antler points do not matter for legality here.
Which town makes the best base for Timpas Creek SWA?
La Junta, about 9 miles away in a straight line.
Where do I report trouble on Timpas Creek SWA?
Area CPW Office in Lamar, 719-336-6600; CPW offices close on state holidays.
Must I wear blaze orange or pink on Timpas Creek 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 Timpas Creek 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 Timpas Creek SWA?
Big game 5:56 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. on November 7, 2026 at the Otero County centre; turkey, small game and ducks stop at sunset.
Where do hunters sleep when they hunt Timpas Creek SWA?
On the property, where CPW authorizes camping; the page icons show it.
Timpas Creek SWA: double-check list
Property rules, closures and reservation needs on Timpas Creek 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: PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0).