Pitkin County opens up rare Sky Mountain hunting lottery for 13th year

Pitkin County has opened its Sky Mountain elk hunt lottery for the 2026 season, the 13th year of the program. 

County code prohibits hunting on county-owned land which makes the lottery a rare opportunity to hunt a zone that is not open to other hunters. The hunt will take place during the fourth rifle season from Nov. 18 through Nov. 22, at which point the park will be closed to most public access.

“The limited hunt at Sky Mountain Park supports both ecological stewardship and public access,” Liza Mitchell, natural resource manager with Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, said in a press release announcing this year’s lottery. “Carefully managed hunting helps distribute elk across the landscape and reduces habitat impacts associated with concentrated herd activity.”

To qualify, prospective hunters need to have a valid Colorado hunting license and be eligible to obtain a fourth-season cow elk tag in Game Unit 431. 

Five hunters will be selected from the applicants via a lottery system, with youth and first-time hunters receiving two entries over the standard one entry for non-first time, adult hunters. Youth hunters who also have not hunted will get three entries. 

“The weighted system expands opportunities for youth and new hunters while keeping the hunt open to all qualified applicants,” Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Communications & Outreach Specialist Jami McMannes said. 

After the lottery is conducted, hunters will have to apply for and secure the appropriate Colorado hunting license before the fall season. According to McMannes, there have been past instances where selected hunters were not able to get a tag for Unit 431, at which point one of three alternate lottery winners will be selected.

Since the program started in 2014, there have been 54 participating hunters and 24 of them have succeeded in taking an elk, according to Pitkin County Open Spaces and Trails data. Since 2023, there have been three youth hunters and six first time hunters in the season’s elk hunt. 

According to McMannes, the Sky Mountain Park elk hunt is not a guided hunt. Winning hunters may be accompanied by others, but the individual doing the hunting must possess a valid hunting license for the game unit. Hunters do not need to be Pitkin County residents to participate. 

The hunt began as a result of the Sky Mountain Park Management Plan goal to prevent a “refuge effect” from taking hold on the land. According to the management plan, the county consulted with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to prevent “overbrowsing of vegetation within the park” due to elk flocking to the area to avoid hunters. 
The drawing will close on March 16, 2026. To enter the lottery or get more information on the program, go to PitkinCounty.com/481/Open-Space-Permits.