Tarryall Reservoir SWA: hunting rules and access
Tarryall Reservoir SWA is 711 acres of State Wildlife Area in Park County, Colorado, in game management units 50 and 501. CPW lists deer, elk and waterfowl for it, and its rules for the property run to 13 lines: 7 on its page for the property and 6 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Park |
| Game management unit | 50, 501 |
| Size | 711 acres |
| Coordinates | 39.2338, -105.6218 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Tarryall Reservoir SWA on the map |
| Acres inside the boundary CPW maps | 885, against 711 on CPW's page. Both are CPW's own figures, and they do not agree |
| Among CPW properties in unit 50 | 9th largest of 11 by the acres on CPW's pages, 2% of their 43,735 acres together |
| Among CPW properties in unit 501 | The largest of 2 by the acres on CPW's pages, 60% of their 1,191 acres together |
| 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
Deer, Elk, Waterfowl.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Coldwater Lake, Coldwater Stream.
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. Closed at dam, spillway, outlet structures.
- B. Operating a vessel in a manner that creates a whitewater wake is prohibited.
- C. OHV and snowmobile use prohibited.
- D. Discharging firearms, pellet guns or bows prohibited in campgrounds.
- E. Camping allowed in designated campgrounds and numbered sites.
- F. Dogs must be under control and on leash by handler, except service animals or when actively hunting, training for hunting or during licensed field trials.
- G. NO FIRES allowed, only gas fuel grills.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited from the dam, spillway and outlet structures.
- b. Operating a vessel in a manner that creates a whitewater wake is prohibited.
- c. OHV and snowmobiles use is prohibited.
- d. Discharge of firearms, pellet guns, or bows is prohibited in established campgrounds.
- e. Camping is allowed in designated campgrounds in designated number sites.
- f. Dogs are allowed but must be kept under control on a physical leash by the handler at all times, except as authorized in #900(C)(15).
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 Tarryall Reservoir 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.
Units 50 and 501, around Tarryall Reservoir SWA
- Elk in unit 50, 2024: 850 hunters in all seasons took 273 elk, 32% success (2023: 29% from 655 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 704 hunters, 36%. Unit 50 elk by season
- Deer in unit 50, 2024: 220 hunters in all seasons took 74 deer, 34% success (2023: 26% from 277 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 144 hunters, 47%. Unit 50 deer by season
- Unit 50: 500 square miles in Park County, 22.1% national forest and 9.6% BLM land, from 8,400 to 10,700 feet.
- Elk in unit 501, 2024: 378 hunters in all seasons took 125 elk, 33% success (2023: 29% from 356 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 257 hunters, 32%. Unit 501 elk by season
- Deer in unit 501, 2024: 368 hunters in all seasons took 216 deer, 59% success (2023: 46% from 522 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 253 hunters, 72%. Unit 501 deer by season
- Unit 501: 501 square miles in Park and Jefferson Counties, 88.5% national forest and 0% BLM land, from 6,500 to 11,900 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 units 50 and 501
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:41 AM to 6:55 PM | E-M-050-O1-R bull E-M-501-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:52 AM to 6:41 PM | E-F-050-O2-R cow E-F-501-O2-R cow E-M-050-O2-R bull E-M-501-O2-R bull | D-F-501-O2-R doe D-M-050-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:07 AM to 5:25 PM | E-F-050-O3-R cow E-F-501-O3-R cow E-M-050-O3-R bull E-M-501-O3-R bull | D-F-501-O3-R doe D-M-050-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:19 AM to 5:16 PM | E-F-050-O4-R cow E-F-501-O4-R cow E-M-050-O4-R bull E-M-501-O4-R bull | D-M-501-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 50 elk, unit 50 deer, unit 501 elk, unit 501 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Tarryall Reservoir SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mud Springs STL | 8.7 miles | south-west | 636 | 50 |
| James Mark Jones SWA | 12.8 miles | south-west | 17,678 | 50 |
| McArthur Gulch STL | 12.9 miles | north | 468 | 501 |
| Cline Ranch SWA | 15.4 miles | north-west | 1,642 | 500 |
| Teter Michigan Creek SWA | 15.9 miles | north-west | 1,112 | 500 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
More CPW properties in units 50, 501
63 Ranch STL63 Ranch SWAAntero STLBadger Basin STLBadger Flats STLHigh Creek STLSpinney STLTomahawk SWA
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
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