GMU 5 GMU 5 — Moffat/Routt Co.
High-harvest northern elk country between Hahns Peak and the Little Snake River
Northwest Colorado — Elkhead Mountains & Upper Yampa (Moffat/Routt County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
299
sq mi
Public land
50%
approx.
Elevation
6,200–10,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 5 is a compact (roughly 300-square-mile) mountain unit north of Steamboat Springs, running from the Yampa Valley up into the Elkhead Mountains and on to the Wyoming state line. A large elk herd lives between Hahns Peak and the Little Snake River, and the unit posts strong elk harvest — well over 500 bulls and cows in a recent five-year window — on moderate success, the signature of a high-opportunity general unit. Mule deer and a small, high-success pronghorn allocation round it out. Hunting pressure is heavy, and access is a genuine mix of national forest, BLM, and large private ranch.
Terrain
Forested mountains rising off the Yampa and Little Snake River valleys into the Elkhead Mountains, with timbered ridges, aspen benches, sage-grass parks, and creek drainages threading between. Higher ground toward the Wyoming line and the Elkhead high country is steep and physically demanding.
Cover: Sagebrush and grass on the lower benches and valley floors, thickening into oakbrush and aspen on the mid slopes and dense spruce-fir and lodgepole on the higher ridges of the Elkhead Mountains.
Landmarks: Elkhead Mountains · Hahns Peak · Little Snake River · Elkhead Creek · Elkhead Reservoir · Yampa River valley · Bears Ears country
Access
Access is a real patchwork. The Elkhead Mountains and the eastern high country hold blocks of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and scattered BLM, but the Little Snake and Yampa valley bottoms are heavily private ranchland, and OTC rifle bull opportunity in this unit has at times been restricted to private land only in the 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons — confirm the current year's license structure before you plan. Colorado State Trust lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program, so do not count them as huntable. High-clearance vehicles and a good land-ownership map are essential.
Managers: USFS Medicine Bow-Routt NF (Hahns Peak/Bears Ears District), BLM Little Snake Field Office, private ranch
Access points: Routt County Road 129 (Elk River / Hahns Peak corridor) · Moffat County Road 1 · Elkhead Creek / USFS 150 access · Colorado Hwy 13 on the west · Steamboat Springs to the south
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
abundant opportunityThe headliner. A large, productive herd ranges the Elkhead Mountains and the country toward the Little Snake River, and harvest is high — a general-opportunity unit rather than a trophy draw. Recent bull-plus-cow harvest ran well over 500 with success around a third of hunters. Expect company: pressure is heavy near the roads.
- →Break away from the road corridors on foot — hunters who walk into the remote timber and aspen pockets of the Elkhead Mountains see better animals and more solitude.
- →Work aspen-conifer transitions and the sage-park edges at first and last light; elk shuttle between valley forage and timbered bedding.
- →In warmer early seasons, glass the high benches near the Wyoming line; cold and early snow push herds down toward the valleys later.
Mule Deer
common qualityA solid limited-draw mule deer unit riding on good habitat variety. Recent success was strong — better than half of tags filled — with bucks using the oakbrush and sage draws off the mountain shoulders and the aspen benches.
- →Grid-glass oakbrush and sage pockets on the flanks of the Elkhead Mountains rather than the open valley floor.
- →Later hunts improve as bucks slide down off the high country toward the Yampa and Little Snake benches.
- →Hunt from high vantage points with good optics — this is spot-and-stalk country.
Pronghorn
limited qualityA small but high-success pronghorn allocation — recent success ran near nine in ten tags on a limited number of licenses. Antelope hold on the open sage-grass flats and valley benches on the lower, more open end of the unit.
- →Focus on the open sage flats and grassland benches along the Little Snake and lower Yampa valleys.
- →Glass long from the two-tracks and use rolling terrain to close the distance.
- →Treat it as a coveted limited tag — high odds of filling once drawn, but plenty of private ground to work around.
Pro tips
- →Verify the current OTC-versus-limited structure for elk in this unit each year before committing — it has changed.
- →Get well off the road corridors; the Elkhead backcountry rewards hunters willing to walk in.
- →Carry a current land-ownership map — the valley bottoms are a checkerboard of private ranch.
- →Time archery to the rut and rifle to the first cold push out of the high country.
- →Plan for heavy pressure near trailheads, especially in the popular rifle seasons.
Watch out for
- !Large private ranches dominate the Yampa and Little Snake valley bottoms — know boundaries before crossing.
- !OTC rifle bull opportunity has at times been restricted to private land only in the 2nd and 3rd seasons here.
- !Colorado State Trust lands are not open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
- !Forest and BLM roads turn treacherous when wet or snowed.
- !Heavy hunter pressure near road-accessible public ground.
Logistics
Steamboat Springs (south) and Craig (west) are the anchor towns with fuel, groceries, lodging, and repair; smaller Clark and Hayden are closer to parts of the unit. Roads range from paved county highways to rough forest and BLM two-track that turn greasy with rain or early snow — carry recovery gear and a high-clearance rig. Cell service drops off quickly in the Elkhead high country; carry a satellite communicator and leave an itinerary.
Nearest towns: Steamboat Springs, CO, Craig, CO, Clark, CO, Hayden, CO
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: Hunters Domain — Colorado Unit 5 Hunting Information · GOHUNT — Colorado Big Game Unit 5 Profile · HuntScore — Elk Hunting in Colorado's GMU 5 (secondary cross-check) · APT Outdoors — Changes to Colorado OTC Elk Tags
FAQ
- How big is GMU 5 in Colorado?
- GMU 5 (GMU 5 — Moffat/Routt Co.) covers about 299 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,200 to 10,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 5?
- Approximately 50% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Medicine Bow-Routt NF (Hahns Peak/Bears Ears District), BLM Little Snake Field Office, private ranch. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 5?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 5 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.