Colorado Independence Parks Pass

Colorado Parks and Wildlife issues the Independence Parks Pass free of charge under its Veteran's License and Pass Program. It gives unlimited access to all Colorado state parks and is valid for 12 months from the issue date. The rules, including qualifying documentation, are set by Colorado Revised Statute 33-12-106. The rating floor is 50 percent, and Colorado is explicit that multiple ratings count: the combined rating has to equal 50 percent or greater. A veteran can also qualify on loss of use of one or both hands or feet, or permanent loss of vision in both eyes amounting to legal or actual blindness, without reference to a percentage. Purple Heart recipients qualify regardless of rating, on a Purple Heart Certificate or a DD214 showing the award. The medal itself is not accepted as proof, and a National Park Service disability pass is not accepted either, because the criteria differ between programs. Applicants must be Colorado residents with a valid Colorado driver license or ID, and provide a VA letter showing a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable along with the qualifying compensation. The pass transfers between vehicles rather than being tied to one, and everyone in the vehicle enters on it, but the pass holder has to be present. That makes it useful for a family that owns two cars. There is an administrative catch worth planning around. Applications can be emailed or mailed, but in person they can only be processed at the CPW headquarters office at 6060 Broadway in Denver. No other CPW office or park can process one. Allow 15 business days for verification. After the first approval the pass can be obtained each year online, in person at any CPW location, or by phone at 1-800-244-5613, as long as Colorado residency continues, so the headquarters restriction only bites once. Holders aged 64 or older also get $3 off camping per night Sunday through Thursday. The discount excludes Fridays, weekends, holidays, cabins, and yurts, and requires the holder to be the primary occupant with photo identification showing age. The pass covers entry, not everything. Camping and fishing fees still apply. There are two narrower park benefits a veteran might be entitled to instead. A Colorado resident holding Colorado Disabled Veteran or Purple Heart license plates can enter state parks free when the veteran is in the vehicle, without any pass. And all service members and veterans enter free on Veterans Day, November 11, on proof such as a DD214, a military or VA identification card, or a Colorado license carrying the veteran identifier.