Ralston Creek SWA: hunting rules and access
Ralston Creek SWA is 2,100 acres of State Wildlife Area in Jefferson County, Colorado, in game management unit 38. CPW lists big game, furbearer and waterfowl for it, and its rules for the property run to 10 lines: 5 on its page for the property and 5 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson |
| Game management unit | 38 |
| Size | 2,100 acres |
| Coordinates | 39.8340, -105.3676 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Ralston Creek SWA on the map |
| Acres inside the boundary CPW maps | 2,769, against 2,100 on CPW's page. Both are CPW's own figures, and they do not agree |
| CPW's page read | October 8, 2026 |
A State Wildlife Area has its own rules on top of the statewide season rules. How the kinds of public land differ.
What CPW lists for hunting here
Big game, Furbearer, Waterfowl.
A species on this list is one CPW names for the property. It still needs an open season, the right license for the unit, and nothing in the restrictions below against it on your dates.
Who may enter
A valid hunting or fishing license OR SWA pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing this state wildlife area.
Restrictions on CPW's page for this property
- A. Public access is prohibited from February 1 through June 14.
- B. Public access is restricted to hunting activities from the day after Labor Day through the end of the late deer/elk season.
- C. No public access to the Mt. Tom Administrative Area.
- D. Discharge of firearms or bows is prohibited except while hunting.
- E. Dogs are prohibited
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited from February 1 through June 14.
- b. Public access is restricted to hunting activities from the day after Labor Day through the end of the late deer/elk season.
- c. No public access to the Mt. Tom Administrative Area.
- d. Discharge of firearms or bows is prohibited except while hunting.
- e. Dogs are prohibited.
From CPW regulations, chapter W-9 (Wildlife Properties), 2 CCR 406-9, dated July 16, 2026.
Read it at the source before you go
The rules above are CPW's words, copied from CPW's page for Ralston Creek SWA as it read on October 8, 2026 and from the regulations for CPW properties. CPW can change them or close the property at any time, signs on the ground count, and a rule that names a season moves with that season each year.
Unit 38, around Ralston Creek SWA
- Elk in unit 38, 2024: 1,096 hunters in all seasons took 88 elk, 8% success (2023: 10% from 1,038 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 580 hunters, 9%. Unit 38 elk by season
- Deer in unit 38, 2024: 1,129 hunters in all seasons took 275 deer, 24% success (2023: 20% from 1,275 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 952 hunters, 27%. Unit 38 deer by season
- Unit 38: 456 square miles in Gilpin, Boulder, Clear Creek and Jefferson Counties, 19.7% national forest and 0.3% BLM land, from 5,200 to 12,100 feet.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife survey estimates for the whole unit, private land included. They are not figures for this property, and whether elk or deer may be hunted here is in CPW's list above.
2026 elk and deer rifle hunt codes for unit 38
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:41 AM to 6:53 PM | E-F-038-O1-R cow E-M-038-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:52 AM to 6:39 PM | E-F-038-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-F-038-O2-R doe D-M-038-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:07 AM to 5:23 PM | E-F-038-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-F-038-O3-R doe D-M-038-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:20 AM to 5:13 PM | E-F-038-O4-R cow E-M-038-O4-R bull | D-F-038-O4-R doe D-M-038-O4-R buck |
A code valid in the unit is not permission to hunt this property: the property's own list and restrictions decide that. Legal light is half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset at the coordinates above, on the Colorado clock; the state's printed table is the rule. Archery, muzzleloader, late and private-land codes are on the unit pages: unit 38 elk, unit 38 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Ralston Creek SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Brook STL | 10.3 miles | south-west | 468 | 39 |
| Bergen Peak SWA | 12.2 miles | south | 1,093 | 39 |
| Mount Evans SWA | 16.9 miles | south-west | 3,407 | 39 |
| Sawhill Ponds | 16.9 miles | north-east | 208 | 29 |
| Georgetown SWA | 18.7 miles | west | 689 | 39 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
Have a tag for this fall?
A FilledTag plan checks the rules of any CPW property it uses against your species and your dates, and gives you one exact plan: where to park, camp and sit, with every pin checked against public land and road rules.