Unit Review: NORTH PARK

GMU 6, 16, 17, 161, 171

LOCAL DOW OFFICE: Steamboat Springs DOW, (970) 870-2197

Note: CWD has been detected in these units

North Park borders Wyoming and lies between the Continental Divide and the Medicine Bow Mountains. The valley floor at 7,880’ supports agricultural lands and sagebrush. Extensive willow stands line the streams — a favorite moose habitat, so be sure of your target.

The forest surrounding the basin varies from aspen/lodgpole to spruce/fir. Alpine occurs above 10,500’, peaking at 12,970’. The area is generally windy and colder than many places in western Colorado. Prepare for snow during your hunt. Four-wheel drive is helpful, as are chains. Over two-thirds of North Park is public land. Mt. Zirkel (west) and Never Summer (southeast) are the Wilderness Areas. Access to all State Trust Lands and the Wilderness Areas is nonmotorized. Big game can move onto private lands with no public access.

DEER
DOW GMU Summaries for North Park Deer Chart
There are about 7,000 deer in the North Park units. If you are a patient hunter, you could have success hunting trophy bucks. Deer are dispersed throughout the aspen forests and tend to move north with the seasons. Second season is the best time for hunting deer, particularly on Independence Mountain.

Other good areas are Sand Dunes, Sheep Mountain, Delany Butte, Mexican Ridge and Owl Mountain.
Be sure of your target!

ELK
DOW GMU Summaries for North Park Elk Chart
Elk are distributed evenly throughout these units. During the day, the bulls will be in dark timber — glass in the early morning and evening. The herd tends to stay in the coniferous timbered areas until late in the season, moving to lower elevations with snow and hunting pressure.

SHOOTING RANGES
Walden — Walden Public Shooting Area
Contact: DOW Walden Workcenter (970) 723-4625
Shooting area is located four miles east of Walden on County Road 12E. Range is on the north side of the road. Open to the public year-round; no supervision provided. The range has benches with range distances from 50 to 300 yards.
There is no trash service — shooters are responsible for removing their own brass, shell casings, targets and trash. Please be aware of other users of these public lands such as hikers, horseback riders, and OHV operators.

To get the complete GMU overview, click here to download the PDF
DOW Game Management Unit Overview