In 2024, our Coalition of 49 organizations successfully updated the Colorado Recreational Use Statute (CRUS) to strengthen protection for landowners. Learn more and order a new CRUS Warning Sign below!
Order a CRUS Warning Sign from the Fix CRUS Coalition
The Colorado Recreational Use Statute provides extra protection to landowners who install a sign at the primary access point(s) to their land with a warning statement provided by statute.
To reduce the burden of granting access, the Fix CRUS Coalition designed signs to make available for landowners who want to install them on their land. Fill out the form on the right to request a warning sign. The first 100 signs are free; after that, they will cost a nominal fee.
Questions? Email info@thenextsummit.org.
Watch a Video Intro:
The Colorado Recreational Use Statute (CRUS) protects free public access to land for hiking, climbing, and other recreation.
Outdoor recreation is an important part of Colorado culture and the economy, employing 125,000 workers and contributing $11.6 billion to the state. While Colorado is home to huge tracts of public land, growing recreation demands mean privately owned or managed land also play a critical role.
Recognizing the public interest in accessing private land for recreation, the state created the Colorado Recreational Use Statute (CRUS) to provide liability protection to landowners that allow public recreational use of their land free of charge.
Many landowners have lost confidence in the protections of the CRUS and are closing their land to the public.
For many years, the CRUS worked to protect landowners and incentivize open access for hiking, climbing, and biking. However, a recent lawsuit demonstrated that the current version of the CRUS leaves landowners vulnerable to liability for recreational injuries on their property if they fail to adequately warn them of all known hazards.
This development created a growing chilling effect as landowners, concerned about liability and lawsuits, closed access to their land, including areas where they previously allowed access. Five Colorado 14ers, dozens of trails, and hundreds of acres of land have closed to the public, with many more at risk of closing in the future.
The Fix CRUS Coalition is working to make more private lands accessible for public recreation - but we need your help to do it.
Colorado is growing. Outdoor recreation is getting more popular each year. Millions of visitors flock to our state each year. We need access to more land, more trails, and more wild spaces than ever. The Fix CRUS Coalition is working to restore, protect, and expand public recreation access on private lands by strengthening ths CRUS.
Learn more about the impacts of the current status quo below – or take action now.
What Does the CRUS Protect?
Hiking and Backpacking
Protect Access to the Peaks and Trails You Love
Rock Climbing
Keep Climbing Areas Open and Accessible to the Public
Mountain Biking
Support Expanding Mountain Biking Access in Colorado
Backcountry Snowsports
Keep the Backcountry Open and Accessible
Long-Distance Racing
Support the Long-Distance Racing Community
Boating & Whitewater
Keep Colorado Waterways Open
Meet our Coalition Members
Our collaborative approach includes non-profits, small businesses and large corporations, government agencies and local governments, land managers and land owners, and many others who support free public access to recreation in Colorado. Meet all of our members and how to join the coalition below.
Take Action Now
Recent Coalition Blog Posts
Bill to Protect Outdoor Recreation Access Clears First Major Hurdle with 5-0 Committee Vote
Yesterday, the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee voted 5-0 to advance SB-58, a critical bill to protect and restore access to trails and 14ers by strengthening
Fix CRUS Coalition Announces Landmark Legislation to Revitalize Colorado’s Outdoor Access
Denver, Colorado – In a significant development for Colorado’s outdoor community, the Fix CRUS Coalition, in collaboration with its diverse membership base, state legislators, and the
A Step Forward with Mount Democrat, but Colorado’s Outdoor Heritage Still At Risk
In a landmark move, the Conservation Fund recently acquired nearly 300 acres surrounding 14,148-foot Mount Democrat, including its trailhead and summit. This acquisition opens the
