Permit Prices

Revenue generated from permit sales goes directly back into your parks and open lands to pay for:

  • operating expenses (for example, trash collection, restroom supplies, picnic tables)
  • personnel expense (for example, the rangers and maintenance staff out in the parks and open lands)
Purchase permits online

Natural Resource Annual Permit Survey

Do your part to support your parks and open lands!

Entrance permits are required for all park use, whether you drive in, walk in, bike in, or ride a horse (except for Estes Park Campgrounds at East Portal and Mary's Lake).

Park entrance permits are required at Blue Sky Trailhead, Carter Lake, Flatiron Reservoir, Hermit Park Open Space, Horsetooth Mountain Open Space (including Soderberg Open Space), Horsetooth Reservoir, Pinewood Reservoir, and Ramsay-Shockey Open Space. Annual park entrance permits are available at the entrance stations prior to entering the parks, from rangers in the parks, at The Bison Visitor Center, at the Citizen Information Center, at nearby retail outlets, and online. Daily park entrance permits are available at The Bison Visitor Center and at entrance stations and self-serve stations prior to entering the parks, and at nearby retail outlets. Camping permits are available from rangers and camp hosts. If you sell your vehicle or replace the windshield, scrape off the pieces of the old permit and bring to our administrative office at the Bison Visitor Center (north of Carter Lake, 1800 South County Road 31, Loveland, CO), or to one of our gate attendants or rangers during the season, or to the Citizen Information Center at the Courthouse (200 West Oak, Fort Collins, CO).

Please call us at (970) 679-4570 if you have questions.

Daily Park Entrance Permits

(Valid date of purchase through noon of the next day)

Reservoirs Only (Horsetooth, Carter, Flatiron, Pinewood):
January-December$7 per vehicle, $7 per boat
All Other Required Areas:
January - December$6 per vehicle

Annual Permits

Valid through December 31 of current year (or next year if bought in December).

Annual Vehicle (Larimer County Resident)$65.00
Annual Vehicle (Non-resident)$85.00
2nd Vehicle Permit (for vehicles registered to the same address, 1 for each full-priced permit)$40.00
Annual Boat (Larimer County Resident)$65.00
Annual Boat (Non-resident)$85.00
Senior Annual Vehicle (65 and over, turning 65 in year of permit)$35.00
Paddling Permit (available for non-motorized, non-registered boats such as canoes, kayaks, rafts, racing shells, sailboards) A "family" permit which allows 3 boats from the same household on the lake at the same time.$35.00
Permit for Persons with Disabilities (available to those persons who already have the State Parks Columbine Pass, or the National Parks Access Card)$10.00

Camping Permits

(Required in addition to park entrance permit, one per campsite; valid date of purchase through noon the next day)

Reservoirs

Non-electric Campsite (January-December)$15 per night
Electric Campsite (April-September)$25 per night
Electric Campsite (October-March)$15 per night
Full Hookups Campsite - Horsetooth Reservoir (April-September)$30 per night
Full Hookups Campsite - Horsetooth Reservoir (October - March)$20 per night
2nd Camping Unit (January-December)$10 per night
Boat-in Camping - Horsetooth Reservoir (May to September)$20 per night
Camper Cabins$60 per night for up to 5 people in the cabin & 3 people in one tent (April - September), $30 per night for up to 5 people & 3 people in one tent (October - March)

Estes Park Campgrounds at East Portal and Mary's Lake
(No entrance permits required)

Non-electric Campsite (May 15-October 15)$27 per night
Electric Campsite (May 15-October 15)$32 per night
Water and Electric Campsite (May 15-October 15)$37 per night
Full Hookups Campsite (May 15-October 15)$37 per night

Hermit Park Open Space

Non-electric Campsite (January-December)$20 per night
Effective March 1, 2012, non-electric sites will be $24
2nd Camping Unit (January-December)$10 per night
Camper Cabins (May-October)$80 per night
Camper Cabins (November, December, March, April)$60 per night