GMU 49 GMU 49 — Lake/Park/Chaffee Co.
Big limited-draw elk numbers across the Mosquito Range high country
Central Colorado — Mosquito Range between Leadville, Fairplay and Buena Vista · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
539
sq mi
Public land
80%
approx.
Elevation
7,900–14,238
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 49 spans the Mosquito Range in Lake, Park, and Chaffee Counties, bounded by the Continental Divide on the north, CO-9 and US-285 on the east, US-24 on the south, and the Arkansas River / Tennessee Creek on the west. It is the largest and highest-harvest of the upper Arkansas units, taking in two national forests (San Isabel and Pike) and wilderness alpine topping out near Mt. Cameron and Mt. Sherman above 14,000 ft. Elk are the standout — a big herd with strong numbers, most concentrated on the Fairplay side of the range and increasing toward Leadville — and mule deer follow, favoring the pinyon-juniper country on the Chaffee County (Buena Vista) end. Both are limited-draw, not over-the-counter, and a small pronghorn tag exists toward the South Park edge. Access is good on public roads and trails.
Terrain
Valley floors near 7,900 ft near Johnson Village climbing across timbered slopes to alpine tundra and 14ers along the Mosquito/Continental Divide crest, peaking near Mt. Cameron (14,238 ft) and Mt. Sherman.
Cover: Pinyon-juniper and sage on the dry lower Chaffee County end, aspen and mixed shrub on the mid-slopes, spruce-fir and fir timber to timberline, then alpine tundra and talus above.
Landmarks: Mosquito Range · Mt. Sherman · Mt. Cameron · Weston Pass · Fourmile Creek · South Park fringe · Arkansas River headwaters · Johnson Village
Access
A high public-land unit — two national forests (San Isabel and Pike) with wilderness alpine, plus BLM lower down. Access is good with many public roads and trails reaching the public ground. Private is concentrated in the valley bottoms, along the US-285 / CO-9 corridor near Fairplay, and in the Arkansas valley near Buena Vista and Johnson Village. State Trust Land is generally closed unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program — do not count it as open.
Managers: USFS San Isabel National Forest, USFS Pike National Forest, BLM, private ranch, Colorado State Trust Land (generally closed unless in CPW Public Access Program)
Access points: US-24, US-285, and CO-9 corridors (Buena Vista, Fairplay) · Weston Pass and Fourmile Creek roads · San Isabel & Pike NF trailheads on both flanks of the Mosquito Range · Mt. Sherman / Iowa Gulch access above Leadville
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
abundant qualityThe marquee species and the biggest elk harvest of the upper Arkansas units. A large herd works the Mosquito Range, most concentrated on the Fairplay side and building toward Leadville. Limited-draw management — not over-the-counter — sustains numbers and age structure; strong harvest with solid success reflects genuine elk density.
- →Focus the Fairplay (east) side of the range where elk concentrate, and the Leadville-facing slopes
- →Hunt timber-meadow edges and dark spruce-fir benches at dawn and dusk
- →Work Weston Pass and Fourmile Creek drainages
- →During the rut, call in timbered draws and near wallows
- →Later seasons: intercept migration as snow pushes elk off the high country
Mule Deer
common qualityLimited-draw deer with the better hunting on the Chaffee County (Buena Vista) end in the pinyon-juniper and sage. Deer favor the lower, drier country over the cold alpine north end.
- →Hunt the pinyon-juniper and sage benches on the Chaffee County side
- →Glass shrub and juniper edges at first and last light
- →Bucks hold in juniper and oakbrush pockets through midday
- →Time later hunts to downhill movement toward the valleys
Pronghorn
limited opportunityA small pronghorn allocation uses the open grass-and-sage parks toward the South Park and Arkansas valley edges. Low harvest reflects a limited, tightly managed high-elevation population — a bonus tag.
- →Glass open parks and valley flats for scattered bands
- →Use terrain to close distance in sparse cover
- →Focus on the open South Park fringe and lower valley ground
Mountain Goat
limited trophyThe Mosquito Range alpine holds mountain goats — Mt. Sherman and the high divide are classic goat country. Draw-only with very few tags and heavy competition.
- →Glass high cliffs, talus, and tundra basins near and above timberline
- →Plan for extreme-altitude, technical terrain
- →Scout summering bands well ahead of the season
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyRocky Mountain bighorn range the alpine crags of the Mosquito Range. Among the toughest tags to draw in Colorado, issued in single digits.
- →Glass rocky alpine faces and grassy benches near escape terrain
- →E-scout known summer ranges and ridgelines
- →Expect a demanding, high-altitude hunt
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears work the aspen, shrub, and berry country of the mid-elevations, best in early fall on heavy natural feed.
- →Hunt berry patches and aspen slopes in early fall
- →Glass feeding bears at dawn and dusk
- →Usually incidental to elk or deer hunting
Pro tips
- →Hunt the Fairplay (east) side for the best elk concentrations, with the Leadville flank strong too
- →For deer, shift to the Chaffee County pinyon-juniper on the Buena Vista end
- →The unit is large and high — use its size to escape pressure and find pockets of elk
- →Time late hunts to storms that move elk off the Mosquito Range crest
- →Acclimatize to altitude and watch the passes for early snow
Watch out for
- !Extreme altitude and fast-changing alpine weather
- !Private ranch ground in the valley bottoms and along US-285 / CO-9 near Fairplay
- !State Trust Lands generally closed unless enrolled in the Public Access Program
- !Steep terrain and long packouts off the high country
- !Heavy recreation traffic on the Mosquito 14ers near trailheads
Logistics
Buena Vista, Fairplay, and Leadville all serve as bases for fuel, lodging, groceries, and processing. This is big, high country — plan for altitude, cold, and rapid weather swings. Forest roads (Weston Pass, Fourmile) are dirt and can hold early snow; carry chains and recovery gear and acclimatize before hunting hard. Cell coverage fades off the main corridors.
Nearest towns: Buena Vista, Fairplay, Leadville, Johnson Village
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW Big Game Hunting Statistics · CPW Hunting Atlas — GMU boundaries and public access · CPW Southeast Colorado Hunting Guide (unit 49 description) · USFS — Pike & San Isabel National Forests (PSICC)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 49 in Colorado?
- GMU 49 (GMU 49 — Lake/Park/Chaffee Co.) covers about 539 square miles, ranging from roughly 7,900 to 14,238 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 49?
- Approximately 80% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS San Isabel National Forest, USFS Pike National Forest, BLM, private ranch, Colorado State Trust Land (generally closed unless in CPW Public Access Program). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 49?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep, 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 49 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.