GMU 500 GMU 500 — Park Co.
A small, high-alpine limited-draw unit under Silverheels and the Divide
Central Colorado — Northwest South Park to the Continental Divide (Park County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
162
sq mi
Public land
60%
approx.
Elevation
9,000–13,800
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 500 is a compact (roughly 160-square-mile) unit tucked into the northwest corner of South Park, running west of US 285 between Kenosha Pass and Fairplay and climbing east from the Continental Divide. It is a limited-draw unit for every species — no over-the-counter elk — with elk the clear priority, a thin mule deer allocation, and only a token pronghorn opportunity on the park edge. The high, rugged country under Mount Silverheels and the Divide holds good numbers of elk, but success is modest and the deer hunt is tough.
Terrain
Steep, high country climbing from the northwest rim of South Park up toward the Continental Divide and the flank of Mount Silverheels, with timbered drainages, willow parks, alpine basins, and rock above timberline. Little of the unit is low or gentle.
Cover: Sage and grass on the lower park margins, thickening into lodgepole, aspen, and spruce-fir on the mountain slopes, with willow-lined drainages and alpine tundra near and above timberline.
Landmarks: Mount Silverheels · Continental Divide · Kenosha Pass · North Fork South Platte River · Hoosier Pass country · Fairplay
Access
Much of the high country toward the Continental Divide and Mount Silverheels is Pike National Forest, giving good public access to the mountain, while the lower park margins and river bottoms carry private ranch parcels. Colorado State Trust lands are NOT open to general public hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. This is steep, high-elevation terrain — plan on climbing, and treat weather as the primary hazard.
Managers: USFS Pike National Forest (South Park Ranger District), BLM, private ranch
Access points: US Highway 285 (Kenosha Pass to Fairplay) · County Road 9 / Hwy 9 corridor near Fairplay on the west · North Fork South Platte drainage on the east · Pike NF trailheads toward Mount Silverheels and the Divide
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe primary quarry. The high basins and timbered drainages under Mount Silverheels and the Continental Divide hold good elk numbers, and the limited-draw structure keeps pressure lower than open general units. Recent success ran around a quarter of hunters — modest, but the age class and quiet country reward hunters who climb.
- →Hike high into the basins and timber under Mount Silverheels and the Divide, away from the highway margins.
- →Work willow parks and timber-edge transitions at first and last light where elk feed and bed.
- →Let early snow off the Divide push elk down into the mid-elevation timber during rifle seasons.
Mule Deer
limited opportunityA thin, tough mule deer allocation — recent success was low (around one in five tags) on few licenses. Deer use the sage-and-timber transition on the lower flanks of the unit; this is a supplemental opportunity, not the reason to draw here.
- →Concentrate on the lower sage-timber edges and aspen pockets on the park side of the unit rather than the alpine.
- →Glass patiently from vantage points — deer densities are modest and animals are scattered.
- →Pair the deer tag with elk scouting rather than treating it as a standalone hunt.
Pronghorn
transient lowOnly a token pronghorn presence on the open park margin at the unit's lower edge — very few tags and only a handful of animals taken recently. Antelope barely reach into this high, mountainous unit from the South Park grasslands.
- →Focus on the small strip of open grassland on the park-facing lower edge of the unit.
- →Glass long and be prepared for very low animal numbers.
- →Consider this an incidental tag — the neighboring park units offer far better pronghorn odds.
Pro tips
- →Apply and bank points — this is a limited-draw, no-OTC unit that leans quality for elk.
- →The elk hunt is a climbing hunt: get high under Silverheels and the Divide.
- →Arrive acclimatized and fit — much of the unit is above 10,000 feet.
- →Skip this unit if pronghorn is your goal; the park units next door are far better.
- →Watch the forecast — early snow off the Divide both helps the hunt and closes high roads.
Watch out for
- !High-elevation weather can turn severe and dangerous with little warning.
- !Private ranch parcels sit along the lower park margins and river bottoms — verify boundaries.
- !Colorado State Trust lands are not open to hunting without CPW Public Access Program enrollment.
- !Altitude sickness is a real risk for unacclimatized hunters above 10,000 feet.
- !Deer and pronghorn opportunity is thin — set expectations accordingly.
Logistics
Fairplay and tiny Alma sit right at the western edge of the unit for fuel and basic supplies, with fuller services over Hoosier Pass in Breckenridge. This is genuine high-altitude hunting — much of the unit sits above 10,000 feet, and snow, wind, and cold can hit hard in any season. Pike NF roads reach the mid-elevations; the best elk ground requires climbing on foot. Carry layers, altitude-ready fitness, recovery gear, and a satellite communicator.
Nearest towns: Fairplay, CO, Alma, CO, Jefferson, CO, Breckenridge, CO
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: HuntScore — Elk Hunting in Colorado's GMU 500 (Park County) · Hunters Domain — Colorado Unit 500 Hunting Information · GOHUNT — Colorado Big Game Unit 500 Profile · Cowboy Camp Outfitters — South Park Units 49/50/500/501 Hunting
FAQ
- How big is GMU 500 in Colorado?
- GMU 500 (GMU 500 — Park Co.) covers about 162 square miles, ranging from roughly 9,000 to 13,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 500?
- Approximately 60% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Pike National Forest (South Park Ranger District), BLM, private ranch. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 500?
- 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 500 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.