GMU 32 GMU 32 — Garfield Co.
BLM canyon-and-plateau country between Parachute and Rifle, where the public elk hunt is a draw
Northwest Colorado — Garfield County (Roan Plateau / Battlement Mesa) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
301
sq mi
Public land
75%
approx.
Elevation
5,100–9,300
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 32 is a roughly 300-square-mile unit riding the north bank of the Colorado River between Parachute and Rifle, climbing from the river up onto the Roan Plateau and Battlement Mesa. It is overwhelmingly BLM ground, but with a critical catch for elk hunters: over-the-counter bull licenses here are valid on private land only, so hunting the big public BLM blocks requires a limited (draw) elk tag. Elk carry the harvest, mule deer is a solid limited-draw hunt with good success, and there is no meaningful pronghorn opportunity despite antelope appearing on the books.
Terrain
Rolling sagebrush benches and steep-sided canyons rising off the Colorado River corridor onto the high shoulders of the Roan Plateau, Texas Mountain, and Rat Hole Ridge. The country is deeply cut — flat mesa tops separated by rugged rimrock canyons — and the best elk ground is remote and high.
Cover: Pinyon-juniper with pockets of sagebrush blanket the lower and mid elevations; higher ground carries sagebrush interspersed with aspen stands and scattered pockets of dark timber where elk hold.
Landmarks: Roan Plateau · Battlement Mesa · Texas Mountain · Rat Hole Ridge · Parachute Creek · Roan Creek · Colorado River
Access
About three-quarters BLM, but read the elk license fine print: OTC bull tags in GMU 32 are valid on PRIVATE land only, so a public-land elk hunt requires drawing a limited license. Access to the plateau is by rough dirt and two-track from the river corridor near Parachute and Rifle; a lot of the low country is checkerboarded with private ranch and gas-field parcels. Colorado State Trust lands are not open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, so do not count them as huntable.
Managers: BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office, private ranch, energy/gas leaseholds
Access points: I-70 / Colorado River corridor (Parachute, Rifle exits) · Colorado 13/789 (east boundary) · BLM roads onto the Roan Plateau · Roan Creek / Kelly Gulch two-tracks
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe unit's headliner and the bulk of the harvest, but success runs modest (recently around one in five). Note the license structure — OTC bull tags are private-land-only here, so a public-land hunt on the BLM plateau means drawing a limited tag. The best bulls hold in remote green-timber and aspen pockets up high.
- →Hunt the high, remote pockets of aspen and dark timber around Texas Mountain and Rat Hole Ridge where bulls hold away from roads.
- →If you can only hunt public BLM, plan around a limited draw rather than an OTC tag — the OTC bull license is valid on private land only.
- →Let pressure and early snow work for you: bulls pushed off the plateau slide into the big pinyon-juniper expanses and, in a hard year, toward the Piceance Little Hills / Dry Fork country.
Mule Deer
common qualityA dependable limited-draw mule deer hunt on the edge of Colorado's famed Piceance-area deer country, with strong recent success (roughly half of tags filled). Bucks use the pinyon-juniper benches and sage draws below the plateau rim.
- →Grid-glass the pinyon-juniper edges and sage pockets along the canyon rims at first and last light.
- →Later hunts improve as bucks drop off the plateau toward the river-corridor benches.
- →Cover ground with optics from high rimrock vantage points — this is spot-and-stalk country.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are at home in the oakbrush and aspen belts of the plateau, feeding hard on the mast crop in fall. An incidental but genuine opportunity for hunters carrying a bear tag alongside elk or deer.
- →Glass oakbrush and serviceberry pockets and aspen edges in the mornings and evenings, especially in a good berry year.
- →Concentrate on the mid-elevation mountain-shrub band between the pinyon-juniper and the timber.
- →Treat it as a bonus tag while patterning elk rather than a standalone hunt.
Pro tips
- →The key GMU 32 nuance: OTC bull elk licenses are valid on PRIVATE land only — hunting the public BLM means drawing a limited tag.
- →The best elk ground is remote and high around Texas Mountain and Rat Hole Ridge; break well away from the roads.
- →Time your entry and exit around weather — the plateau roads turn to impassable clay when wet.
- →This is edge-of-Piceance mule deer country; a drawn buck tag here is worth the points.
- →Watch the checkerboard of private ranch and gas-field parcels in the low country before you cross a fence.
Watch out for
- !OTC bull elk tags are private-land-only in GMU 32 — do not assume you can hunt the BLM with one.
- !Colorado State Trust lands are not open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
- !Checkerboarded private ranch and energy-lease parcels in the low country require permission.
- !Clay plateau roads become impassable with rain or early snow.
- !Active gas-field infrastructure and traffic in parts of the lower unit.
Logistics
Rifle and Parachute sit right on I-70 with full fuel, groceries, motels, and repair, so this is one of the more logistically easy Western Slope units to base out of. Grand Junction is the nearest full city to the west. The catch is getting up onto the plateau: the BLM roads turn to greasy, impassable clay with rain or early snow, and chains are often needed at the higher elevations. High-clearance 4WD is strongly recommended off the pavement.
Nearest towns: Rifle, CO, Parachute, CO, Silt, CO, Grand Junction, CO
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW Big Game Hunting · HuntScore — Colorado GMU 32 (Garfield County, boundary & land status) · GoHunt — Colorado OTC elk licenses and private-land-only units
FAQ
- How big is GMU 32 in Colorado?
- GMU 32 (GMU 32 — Garfield Co.) covers about 301 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,100 to 9,300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 32?
- Approximately 75% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office, private ranch, energy/gas leaseholds. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 32?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 32 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.