GMU 51 GMU 51 — Douglas Co.
A Douglas County foothills unit hung on the Rampart Range crest, part public forest and heavily private below it
Front Range foothills — Rampart Range (Douglas Co.) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
504
sq mi
Public land
30%
approx.
Elevation
6,000–9,800
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 51 covers the Douglas County foothills west of I-25, running from the Palmer Divide country up onto the spine of the Rampart Range south of Denver. The Rampart Range and its 50-mile ridge road split the unit, with Pike National Forest holding the higher, timbered public ground and a large share of the lower and eastern country locked up in private ranches and subdivisions around Sedalia, Larkspur, and Castle Rock. Mule deer leads the harvest and is fully limited-draw; elk is a limited-draw (not over-the-counter) opportunity concentrated on and below the Rampart crest. Pronghorn is not a meaningful species here.
Terrain
Front Range foothills tilting up from grassy Palmer Divide benches and the South Platte canyon onto the timbered Rampart Range, which crests near Devils Head at about 9,748 feet. Rocky, brushy draws and ponderosa ridges dominate the mid-elevations; the high crest carries dense conifer.
Cover: Grassland and oak-shrub on the lower eastern benches, ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir through the mid slopes, and lodgepole and mixed conifer along the Rampart crest, with Gambel oak thickets and creek-bottom cover threaded through.
Landmarks: Rampart Range · Rampart Range Road · Devils Head · Dawson Butte · South Platte River canyon · Jackson Creek · Sedalia · Palmer Divide
Access
Public hunting is concentrated on the Pike National Forest ground along and below the Rampart Range crest, reached mainly off the 50-mile Rampart Range Road that runs from near Sedalia toward Manitou Springs. Much of the unit — the lower eastern benches around Sedalia, Larkspur, and Castle Rock — is private ranch and subdivision and is not huntable without permission. Boundaries along Rampart Range Road are a patchwork of private parcels and restricted government land, so mind land status carefully. Colorado State Trust lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
Managers: USFS Pike National Forest (South Platte Ranger District), private ranch, Douglas County open space
Access points: Rampart Range Road (from Sedalia) · Jackson Creek Road · South Platte River corridor · Devils Head trailhead area
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityThe unit's leading harvest species and a solid limited-draw deer hunt, with recent success over half of tags filled. Bucks work the oak-brush draws, ponderosa ridges, and the timber-to-open transitions of the Rampart foothills.
- →Glass oak-brush pockets and ponderosa ridge edges at first and last light off the Rampart Range Road spurs.
- →Focus the transition zones between the dense crest timber and the more open mid-elevation benches.
- →Where private lines the public, hunt the edges deer feed toward at dawn and dusk — but confirm boundaries before every setup.
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityA limited-draw elk opportunity — no over-the-counter tags here. The Rampart Range crest holds elk in the darker Pike National Forest timber, and harvest is respectable for a foothills unit (recent bull success roughly a third of the higher-value seasons), though pressure and private access shape where you can hunt.
- →Hunt the Pike National Forest timber on and just below the Rampart crest, working off the Rampart Range Road corridor.
- →Push into the darker north-slope timber where pressure moves elk off the accessible edges.
- →Catch elk on the timber-park margins at the very edges of light, then still-hunt the thick stuff midday.
Pro tips
- →Both elk and deer are limited-draw here — no over-the-counter option — so plan around the draw.
- →Public hunting is essentially the Pike National Forest ground on and below the Rampart crest; the eastern benches are largely private.
- →Land status along Rampart Range Road is a patchwork — carry a current land-ownership layer and check boundaries constantly.
- →This unit sees heavy recreational and hunting traffic close to the metro; get off the main road corridor for better results.
- →Do not assume state trust parcels are open — they require CPW Public Access Program enrollment.
Watch out for
- !Large private ranches and subdivisions across the lower/eastern unit (Sedalia, Larkspur, Castle Rock) — no access without permission.
- !Patchwork of private parcels and restricted government land bordering Rampart Range Road.
- !Colorado State Trust lands are not open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
- !Heavy recreational traffic and hunting pressure due to Denver/Colorado Springs proximity.
- !Some closed or restricted federal parcels along the range — verify status before hunting.
Logistics
This is a front-country unit with full services close at hand — Castle Rock, Sedalia, and Larkspur sit right at the eastern edge, and Colorado Springs and Woodland Park anchor the south. Most hunting is done as day trips off Rampart Range Road, with dispersed and developed Forest Service camping on the public ground. Roads range from paved to graded gravel to rough two-track; the Rampart corridor sees heavy recreational traffic. Cell coverage is generally decent given the metro proximity but drops in the canyons.
Nearest towns: Sedalia, CO, Larkspur, CO, Castle Rock, CO, Woodland Park, CO, Colorado Springs, CO
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: GoHunt — Colorado Unit 51 Profile · HuntScore — Elk Hunting in Colorado's GMU 51 (Douglas County) · USFS — Pike National Forest, South Platte Ranger District
FAQ
- How big is GMU 51 in Colorado?
- GMU 51 (GMU 51 — Douglas Co.) covers about 504 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,000 to 9,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 51?
- Approximately 30% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Pike National Forest (South Platte Ranger District), private ranch, Douglas County open space. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 51?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 51 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.