Wildlife
How do you bear-proof a Colorado mountain home?
Bears are awake from mid-March to early November in Colorado, and the mountain towns write trash rules with fines to match.
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree. Updated September 2026.
Photos: Aerial of golden fall aspens and a mountain road, Taylor Brandon (Unsplash).
Lock up trash and take down feeders. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says bears are active mid-March to early November and feed 22 hours a day in fall for 20,000 calories. Leaving trash or feeders where bears reach them violates state law. Estes Valley allows trash out only 6 am to 7 pm on pickup day, and Aspen fines run $250, $500 and $1,000.
Mid-March to early November.
Per Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
22 hours a day.
Bears eat for 20,000 calories a day in fall.
Down April to November.
CPW says remove bird feeders April through November.
$250 / $500 / $1,000.
Eagle County Ordinance 07-001 fines $100, $200 and $500.
What does Colorado Parks and Wildlife say about bears?
- Active mid-March to early November. Bears come out of dens in spring and feed into fall.
- Fall is the peak. Bears feed 22 hours a day for 20,000 calories.
- State law. Leaving trash or feeders accessible to bears violates state law.
What are the trash rules in mountain towns?
- Estes Valley (Larimer County). The wildlife ordinance allows trash out from 6 am to 7 pm on pickup day.
- Eagle County. Ordinance 07-001 fines $100, $200 and $500.
- Aspen. Fines run $250, $500 and $1,000.
Confirm the current rule and container standard with the town or county before move-in.
What goes on a bear checklist for a mountain home?
- Trash inside until pickup. Set it out only in the window your town allows.
- Feeders down. Remove bird feeders April through November.
- Nothing outside that smells like food. Grills, pet food and coolers go inside or get cleaned.
- Close the garage. Doors and ground-floor windows stay shut when no one is in the room.
What should a buyer ask about wildlife on a mountain home?
- The trash setup. Ask what container the home uses and whether it meets the town rule.
- The pickup day. Ask the hauler's pickup day so you know the set-out window.
- Past visits. Ask the seller about bear visits and what was done.
Call the Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 for the trash rules in the town you are buying in.
Questions
Quick answers.
When are bears active in Colorado?
Mid-March to early November, per Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Is it illegal to leave trash out for bears in Colorado?
Yes. Leaving trash or feeders accessible to bears violates state law, per CPW.
When can I put trash out in Estes Park?
The Estes Valley wildlife ordinance allows trash out from 6 am to 7 pm on pickup day.
What are the bear trash fines in Aspen?
$250, $500 and $1,000.
When should I take down bird feeders in Colorado?
CPW says remove bird feeders April through November.
Sources
- CPW, black bear
- CPW, living with bears
- Eagle County bear-proof trash
- City of Aspen bear rules
- Larimer County, Estes Valley wildlife ordinance
Rules, rates and dates change. The county, town or state office named above has the current version.
Go deeper
Where to go next.
The map
Where the mountain towns are.
Every pin opens that town's page. Drive times from downtown Denver, without traffic.
- Front Range foothills
- I-70 corridor
- Peak to Peak
- Summit County
- Resort
- Tap a town to open its page
Outline: U.S. Census Bureau. Roads from downtown Denver: OSRM on OpenStreetMap. Town points: OpenStreetMap and USGS. Drive times without traffic.
Private consultation
Ask us about your mountain home.
303-955-4220A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
- Every mountain town. Evergreen and Conifer to Summit County and Steamboat.
- Wildfire, water, winter. Insurance, well, septic and access checked before you offer.
- One point of contact. From the first call to the closing table.
Colorado Mountain Home Finder is part of the Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC (KWDTC).