The principal use of Department of Defense (DOD) lands and waters is to support mission related activities; all other land uses are subordinate. Fort Carson lands and waters are available for non-military purposes in accordance with (IAW) Army Regulation 200-1 (Environmental Protection and Enhancement), Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP), Sikes Act, and Army directives and policies when compatible with the military mission, installation safety and security, ecosystem sustainability, natural resources management, and fiscal responsibility.
Outdoor Recreation is broadly defined as hunting, scouting, fishing, photography, watching wildlife, botany, birding, collecting antler sheds, and similar activities. Possession of a State hunting or fishing license, a Federal Duck Stamp, or a Fort Carson recreation permit does not guarantee access to Fort Carson (FC) or the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS). Firewood collection is also available downrange and access (i.e., permits, range passes) is completed through the iSportsman website, but the firewood program is managed by DPW Forestry. Go to "Firewood Collection Program" above for information on firewood collection.
All permittees, mentors, and non-participants are required to read this agreement. You will need to read and acknowledge the form when you register, buy a Recreation Permit, and get a Downrange Pass.
A Directorate of Public Works (DPW) recreation permit is required for all outdoor recreation at FC and PCMS, except at Turkey Creek Ranch and Camp Falcon Recreation Areas. The permit is valid on either installation from 1 April or the date of purchase, through the following 31 March. *Must be purchased from your registered iSportsman account and WILL NOT be available until after you've completed the applicable annual safety briefing(s).
Firearms, including muzzleloaders, rifles, shotguns, and handguns, must be registered with the Fort Carson Provost Marshal’s Office before transporting onto Fort Carson or PCMS. Firearms are registered by submitting a completed Fort Carson (FC) Form 66-E (Registration of Personal Firearms). Firearm registration is done one time and may have multiple weapons listed on a single registration form.
A downrange pass is required to enter any training area for wildlife recreational purposes or firewood collection on Fort Carson and PCMS. A downrange pass is valid for a specific area or a combination of areas and for the date and time specified on the pass. When downrange, a printed-paper copy of the pass must be placed on the vehicle dashboard. A downrange pass is not required to fish Womack, Townsend, Haymes, and Northside reservoirs. Possession of a valid permit is required to obtain a downrange pass.
Downrange passes can be printed or saved from your iSportsman account after you have completed checkin in for access through your dashboard.
During the weekends, if the iSportsman website goes down (such as - no one - including admins can login) and no one can check in from the website, you can attempt to check in manually at the range control building 9550 to access the open areas. Range operations and law enforcement reserve the right to deny recreationists manual checking in due to staffing and/or any safety concerns. All Fort Carson checkouts from iSportsman must be completed before the posted checkout time. Failure to checkout from iSportsman by the required return time will result in your account being placed on administrative hold for a minimum of 1 week in additon to monetary fines.
Go to "Downrange Pass" under the "Access" dropdown tab for more information.
Questions may be directed to:
To enter PCMS, all recreationists must use the main gate, located on US 350, north of Model, CO and 32 miles northeast of Trinidad. Identification requirements are the same as at Fort Carson.
Crossing the installation boundary and entering private or public lands adjacent to Fort Carson or PCMS is prohibited. The only exception is recreationists possessing a permit and range pass may cross the eastern boundary of PCMS to enter Comanche Grassland, U.S. Forest Service property.