Facility Activities
Visitor Contact Station
The Baca National Wildlife Refuge provides a small but informative visitor contact station at the Refuge office. There are interactive displays, historical stories, wildlife and Refuge management information, and an amazing view of 14,000-foot peaks of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains.
Hunting
Elk hunting is allowed on the Refuge. Portions of the Refuge are open to hunting in accordance with Federal, State, and local regulations; the most restrictive regulations apply on the Refuge.
Attention: Elk Dispersal Hunting Opportunity: The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex in partnership with the Colorado Parks & Wildlife is offering an oppurtunity for hunters to help mitigate game damage conflicts on and around the Monte Vista and Baca NWR's by participating in an anterless elk dispersal hunt on the Baca and Monte Vitsa Refuges. Please refer to the Facebook announcement listed below for more information and to apply for this opportunity, or contact the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Office in Monte Vista by calling 719-587-6900.
CPW Facebook Announcement https://www.facebook.com/CPWMonteVista
*** Elk hunters using the OnX maps, or any other land use app, while elk hunting at the Baca NWR, may notice that south of the designated General Elk Hunting Area is a unit labeled as “SLV Conservation Area.” While that unit is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and administered by the Baca NWR, both hunting and general access by the public are prohibited in that unit. The Service is working to correct how the app provides information about that unit, and that update will likely occur in spring of 2025. That said, during the elk seasons, hunters will still have access to the designated Archery Elk Hunting Area and General Elk Hunting Area. More information about accessing those areas is provided below in the Refuge Hunting Regulations link.
Baca NWR Elk Hunting Regulations and Map
For information about hunting on Baca National Wildlife Refuge, please review our Baca Refuge Hunt Brochure.