The Town of Estes Park partners with other agencies to provide education on noxious weed management in the Estes Valley. The purpose of noxious weed management is to control noxious weeds, defined as non-native aggressive invaders that take over native vegetation. This is also considered good management for wildfire mitigation.
Owning property in the Estes Valley can be a challenge when it comes to managing noxious weeds. Property owners are responsible for noxious weed mitigation and management on private properties, and for compliance with the Estes Valley Municipal Code, Section 8.04.030 & 8.04.040, Larimer County codes, and State of Colorado. Visit www.larimer.org/naturalresources/weeds/law for more information.
The best time to start looking for and managing noxious weeds is early in the growing season. The smaller plants are easier to dig up and bag, and if the weeds are not in bloom there is less risk of spreading seeds.
Every year, from July through September, Monitored Weed Drop-Off events take place on the third Saturday of the month, 9am-noon, at 380 Community Drive (north of the skate park). Participants may unload a maximum of ten paper yard bags (no plastic) with noxious weeds only. No slash, pine needles, pine cones, trash, yard waste or excess dirt are accepted. These drop-off events are made possible by Estes Land Stewardship Association (ELSA), the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County Natural Resources, Estes Valley Land Trust, and donations.
Enforcement of Noxious Weed Violations in Estes Park
Noxious Weed Violations and Code Compliance are enforced by the Estes Park Police Department. To report a code violation online, please visit the Police Department Code Enforcement webpage; or contact the Code Compliance Officer by calling 970-586-4000 or emailing ce@estes.org.
- Noxious Weed of the Week Articles
The following links feature individual information sheets on noxious weeds in the Estes Valley. Please note that some sheets may contain information on weed collection events that occurred in past years. When official weed collection event dates and details for the current year are made available, they will be featured above on this webpage.
- Weed Management Resources
Upsetting the Balance: Invasive Weeds in the Estes Valley
Section 8.04.030 of the Estes Park Municipal Code
Twenty Ob-Noxious Weeds in the Estes Valley - 2024 Identification & Management Guide
Estes Valley Noxious Weed Management Plant List
Applicators, Consultants, Mowers, Seeding, Equipment Sales and Seed Companies (Larimer County)
For more information, please contact Public Works at 970-577-3587 or publicworks@estes.org