BLM Recreation Sites Available to All: Exploring Accessibility on Colorado’s Public Lands

The EXPLORE Act, or the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act, is designed to improve access to outdoor spaces for people with disabilities, veterans, and children, among others. In support of that law, over the next year we will explore accessible public lands, state-by-state, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on behalf of the American people.

Colorado manages about 8.3 million acres of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The BLM Colorado Outdoor Recreation Program staff has been working together to ensure all people can enjoy these lands.

This month, we’ll explore some of the sites and recreation opportunities available to all on Colorado’s public lands, including hunting and fishing for people with very limited mobility, learning about ancient peoples who lived in Colorado, finding quiet and solitude on either side of the Continental Divide, solving Junior Ranger missions, and anticipating new opportunities.

The BLM often partners with local agencies and organizations to accommodate individuals with disabilities, increasing their opportunities to access outdoor recreation.

Hunting and Fishing

Colorado is known for its plentiful and diverse outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing. The BLM manages public lands and its habitats, while the state, through Colorado Parks and Wildlife, manages hunting and fishing permits and licenses. The BLM also manages outfitters and guides through special recreation permitting on public lands. These guides can facilitate hunting, fishing, and other recreation opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

It’s common knowledge that before hunting or fishing on public lands, you need to get a license. Individuals with disabilities may also need accommodations to be able to hunt or fish. Colorado Parks and Wildlife can help with both.

Whether you need a different type of scope, or the ability to shoot from a vehicle, or some other type of accommodation, Jeremy Sifuentes, Colorado Parks and Wildlife ADA coordinator, can help those who qualify to get an Accommodation Permit.

“I love being able to help people get back to hunting and fishing again. Maybe they became disabled 10 or 15 years ago and didn’t realize there are accommodations and programs available now that can support their ability to do what they love again,” said Sifuentes. “It’s the best feeling!”

He also mentioned that a Colorado resident with a total or permanent disability can apply for a free lifetime fishing license.

A photo showing a man in a wheelchair next to a river. He’s wearing camouflage and has an adaptive bow mount on his wheelchair.
Anyone can hunt or fish on BLM-managed lands with the proper equipment, licenses, and permits. (Photo credit: John Rackley)

One accommodation a person might need is the use of an adaptive device. Adaptive equipment and devices range from simple tools, like crutches, to complex technologies, like robotic prosthetics. The devices can help individuals with disabilities perform daily activities, increase their independence, and improve their quality of life.

The all-volunteer Outdoor Buddies is one of the organizations in Colorado with adaptive equipment that can enable people with disabilities to participate in activities they never thought possible—like hunting or fishing. They have all-terrain wheelchairs, adaptive fishing poles, and sip-and-puff mechanism shooting mounts for people with no hand or arm movement, among other equipment.

Larry Sanford, president of Outdoor Buddies, talked about a member who had never shot a gun in his life but wanted to try target shooting. “He had so much fun using the adaptive equipment for target shooting, now he’s planning a hunting trip. He said if he had never gotten hurt, he wouldn’t have imagined himself [doing this],” said Sanford.

The National Sports Center for the Disabled is another organization that helps people with disabilities redefine how they approach life, by focusing on their abilities and showing them what they can accomplish in an outdoor recreation setting. By redefining adaptive outdoor experiences, such as mountain biking or river rafting, and re-inventing adaptive equipment, people with disabilities can have adventures on public lands they never thought possible.

Learning About Ancient Peoples

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, in the Four Corners region of southwest Colorado, has the highest known archaeological site density in the United States. Visitors can begin at the Visitor Center and Museum to learn about the site and ask the knowledgeable staff about places to go, weather conditions, and available maps and brochures. The low front desk, plentiful exhibits, and large auditorium can accommodate people in wheelchairs or other mobility devices.

Many visitors like to learn about a site before they go. A seven-minute video, Discover For Yourself: Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, provides a nice overview of the Monument, while comparing it to more developed sites in the area.

If you prefer brochures and booklets, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument brochure has a map, safety tips, and discussion of ancient indigenous settlements in the area called pueblos. The Junior Explorer: Archaeology booklet provides a fun, interactive way for youth or individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to learn about the area before they visit. The Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: A Living Landscape booklet explores cultural history and the sacred connections the Apache, Navajo, Ute, and Pueblo tribes have with this land.

A half-mile accessible – although moderately steep – trail leads from the Visitor Center to the Escalante Pueblo. From there, you can see the smaller Dominguez Pueblo. Both are described in the Escalante & Dominguez Pueblos brochure. About 25 miles northwest, a quarter-mile accessible trail leads to another large pueblo and Great Kiva – a place used for spiritual ceremonies and worship – at the Lowry Pueblo National Historic Landmark. Although the trail is accessible, there are some steps to the Kiva inside the Pueblo, posing a challenge for some visitors with limited mobility.

A photo showing an ancient kiva, a place used for spiritual ceremonies and worship, made of stone in a circular pattern in the foreground. Surrounding the kiva are spokes of remaining stone walls that are part of the Escalante Pueblo. Behind the pueblo, an ancient indigenous settlement, you can glimpse people walking on an accessible pathway. Far in the distance is a river flowing through a green valley.
A ¼-mile accessible trail leads from the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Visitor Center to the well-preserved Escalante Pueblo. (Photo Credit: Bob Wick)
A photo showing a flat, packed gravel trail in the foreground next to the remains of a well-crafted pueblo made of sandstone blocks. The walls are about five feet high with some doorways and windows visible. A metal roof covers part of the pueblo in the background.
The Lowry Pueblo and nearby Great Kiva can be reached on a ¼-mile accessible trail. It is 25 miles northwest of Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Visitor Center. (Photo Credit: Summer Hiker)

Solitude in Dark Sky Parks

If quiet and solitude are what your soul is craving, Colorado has two International Dark Sky Parks. Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area was certified as a Dark Sky Park in August 2024 and Browns Canyon National Monument in December 2024.

A photo showing a mostly clear night sky with some lenticular clouds on the horizon with the Milky Way as the main feature. Patches of snow are illuminated on the dark surface of hills and valleys.
National Conservation Lands, like Colorado’s Browns Canyon National Monument and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, both International Dark Sky Parks, are great places to view the night skies and relax your mind. (Photo Credit: Courtesy, BLM)

Three hours apart on either side of the Continental Divide, both are south of Interstate 70 and west of Interstate 25, and described as “remote and rugged.” Each of the areas has rivers that are designated as a Gold Medal Trout Fishery and a wilderness or wilderness study area within their boundaries.

While there are several options to participate in recreation activities surrounded by other enthusiastic lovers of public lands, there are also plenty of places to sit in peace, surrounded by breathtaking vistas by day and skies by night. The silence can quiet the mind and calm the body. Focusing on distant peaks gives eyes a break from staring at a television, computer, or phone screen. Inhaling the scent of a fresh rain or nearby vegetation can reduce stress levels and foster a sense of belonging and connection to the environment.

The Gunnison Gorge NCA brochure and the Browns Canyon NM brochure can help you plan your visit.

A photo showing a person sitting on a sandstone cliff, looking out to the distant canyon dotted with green vegetation, a ribbon of blue and green water makes its way along the canyon floor.
The diverse landscape ranging from adobe badlands to rugged piñon and juniper-covered slopes in the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area provides many places to sit in solitude, ground yourself to the earth, and be surrounded by the calming blues and greens of nature. (Photo Credit: Bob Wick)

Agents of Discovery Missions

Children and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities have the opportunity to complete up to five Junior Ranger Missions in Colorado using the Agents of Discovery app. The app was developed to connect youth with the natural world. It accommodates different learning styles and can be used in six languages.

Explore the Lowry Pueblo, complete challenges up the Sand Canyon Trail, or discover new and exciting facts about the Dominguez and Escalante Pueblos, all within the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

Or if you’re at the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA), south of Grand Junction, the missions include discovering the NCA or Escalante Canyon itself. You can read about the area in the Dominguez-Escalante NCA brochure.

A photo showing a poster with instructions to download the Agents of Discovery app. The poster has two photos of a river, one in a canyon with tall red sandstone cliffs and the other in a canyon with dark gray rock formations. A third photo shows several children walking up a dirt road next to grass, sagebrush, and trees.
Using the Agents of Discovery app, children and others can learn about the natural and cultural environment by completing missions. Field Agent Bruno Bighorn will be your guide at Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. (Photo Credit: Courtesy, BLM Colorado, Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area)
A photo showing red sandstone cliffs in the distance. Two people are walking toward the cliffs on an improved dirt pathway that cuts through a landscape dotted with dark green cedar trees and lighter green grass and shrubs.
Colorado public lands provide a variety of experiences for people with disabilities to enjoy. For example, this trail through the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area could work for a person using a cane but may not work for a visitor pushing their companion in a wheelchair. Contact your local BLM office for the information you need. (Photo Credit: Bob Wick)

What to Watch For

Improving and expanding trails is one of the goals of the EXPLORE Act. BLM Colorado is improving accessibility to land and water trails. For example, the Uncompahgre Field Office is working with a local mountain bike committee to build an adaptive bike trail for adaptive cycle use at the popular Ridgway Area Trails. Near the town of Ridgway, this extensive trail system has multi-use trails on state (Ridgway State Park) and federal (BLM) lands. The field office is also coordinating with an outfitter who is filming the Gunnison River so future visitors can take a virtual tour.

A photo showing a person with a lime green t-shirt and khaki pants riding a red adaptive bike with two wheels in front and one wheel in back. The bike is powered and steered with the rider’s arms. He is riding on a dirt road with the Rocky Mountains in the background.
Many adaptive bikes are wider than typical mountain bikes. Accessible bike trails don’t need to be flat, but they do need to be wide enough to accommodate different types of bikes. (Photo Credit: Courtesy, City of Boulder)

With completion of the Blue Valley Land Exchange (Grand and Summit counties), the Northwest District Office plans to make improvements to the site, including accessible fishing platforms, trails, restrooms, and parking areas.

A photo showing a person standing in a river, near the bank, fishing. Riparian reeds and grasses line the nearby shore, while vegetation across the river and downstream are shrubs and trees. White clouds fill much of the sky and green and blue hills can be seen in the distance.
BLM Colorado’s Northwest District Office recently completed the Blue Valley land exchange in Grand and Summit counties. Plans include building accessible fishing platforms and trails to increase recreation opportunities for all. (Photo Credit: Courtesy, BLM Colorado)

Tim Finger, recreation program manager in Colorado, explained: “We have improved the accessibility of many of our developed recreation sites in the state. Most of our sites have some accessibility features. Our plan is to upgrade at least one site per year.”

These are just a few of the amazing areas and activities the BLM manages in Colorado on behalf of the American people. The BLM is dedicated to ensuring that everyone has an equitable opportunity to use their public lands by providing access to facilities, programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. The BLM Accessibility Program provides details on opportunities, resources, laws, policies, and guidelines.

Useful Links

  1. EXPLORE Act – to improve recreation opportunities on, and facilitate greater access to, federal public lands.
  2. Access Pass – free lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities.
  3. Military Lifetime Pass – free pass for Gold Star families and veterans.
  4. Every Kid Outdoors – free pass for fourth graders and their families.
Story by:

Cathy Humphrey, Experienced Services Program

Blog Topic:
Recreation
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