Members of Colorado’s two federally recognized tribal nations can access any of the 43 state parks for free following the enactment of a new law. 

House Bill 1163, which passed the legislature earlier this year with overwhelming bipartisan support, waives state park fees for members of the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian tribes, so long as they show their tribal photo ID card when entering a park. The legislation took effect on Aug. 5. 

“Long before Colorado was a state, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe were stewards of the land now known as our state parks,” said state Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Durango, in a news release statement on Sept. 3. 

Stewart, one of the prime sponsors of HB 1163, said the measure is “the first step in an ongoing process by the state to honor the commitment and uphold the ancestral land reconnection for the oldest continuous residents of our state.”

State park passes range from $7 to $74, though the annual Keep Colorado Wild Pass, which provides access to all state parks, is the most commonly purchased at $29.

Tribal leaders who testified in support of Stewart’s bill earlier this year cited their people’s deep ties to Colorado. 

“We are the definition of in-state residents,” said Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council Vice Chairman Marvin Pinnecoose during a bill hearing in February. Pinnecoose said it is “critical that our tribal youth and elders be able to access and visit these sites and traditional areas to ensure that our cultural practices are carried going forward into future generations.”

The bill did, however, face criticism from members of other tribal nations, including those with ancestral ties to Colorado who have since been displaced. They argued that the bill should be expanded to give free park access to many of the other tribes that once called what is now Colorado their home, of which there are at least 48.

HB 1163 requires Colorado Parks and Wildlife to commit to outreach efforts with other tribal nations, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian tribes, and to explore opportunities to potentially broaden access for more Indigenous communities. 

The bill also requires the Department of Natural Resources, which houses Parks and Wildlife, to submit reports to legislators on the status of those efforts in January 2026 and 2027.