GMU 7 GMU 7 — Larimer Co.
A high, public, draw-only unit spanning the Wyoming line to alpine wilderness
Northern Colorado Front Range high country — Laramie River / Rawah (Larimer County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
244
sq mi
Public land
87%
approx.
Elevation
6,000–12,800
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 7 is a roughly 244-square-mile unit in the far northwest corner of Larimer County, bordered by Wyoming on the north, the Laramie River Road (County Road 103) on the east, and Highway 14 on the south. It is overwhelmingly public — nearly nine-tenths Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest and BLM — and rises dramatically from foothills on the east to alpine peaks and the Rawah Wilderness on the west. Elk are the marquee species and the biggest producer here, holding steady numbers, but this is a fully limited-draw unit with essentially no over-the-counter elk opportunity. Mule deer and a pocket of pronghorn in the Laramie River valley round out the tag options.
Terrain
A huge vertical span — from foothills and the Laramie River valley on the east up through timbered mid-slopes to alpine peaks and tundra above 12,000 feet in the Rawah Wilderness on the west. Steep, rugged wilderness country in the high west; more moderate timber and parks on the east.
Cover: Ponderosa and lodgepole pine with aspen on the lower and mid slopes, thickening into spruce-fir at higher elevation, opening to alpine willow, krummholz, and tundra above treeline; grassy river parks along the Laramie River.
Landmarks: Rawah Wilderness · Laramie River · Highway 14 (Poudre Canyon corridor) · Chambers Lake · Medicine Bow foothills · Deadman area
Access
Nearly all public — roughly 87% (about 79% USFS, 7% BLM) — anchored by the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest and the Rawah Wilderness. Access is excellent by Front Range standards: Highway 14 and the Laramie River Road (CR 103) frame the unit and feed a network of forest roads and trailheads. The Rawah Wilderness is foot-and-horse only. The private ground is mostly ranch land along the Laramie River valley and the lower east edge. Colorado State Trust lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
Managers: USFS Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, BLM, private ranch
Access points: Highway 14 / Poudre Canyon · Laramie River Road (County Road 103) · Rawah Wilderness trailheads (Chambers Lake / West Branch) · Deadman Road forest network
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe headline species and by far the biggest producer here, with a steady herd using the high timber and wilderness basins. This is a fully limited-draw unit — there is no over-the-counter elk here — so expect a preference-point application and quality-managed hunter numbers rather than a walk-up hunt.
- →Get deep into the Rawah Wilderness or off the end of the forest roads; the further from the highway, the less pressure and the better the age class.
- →Time archery and muzzleloader hunts to the September rut and locate bugling bulls off the high timbered basins and park edges.
- →As snow builds, hunt the timber-to-park transitions and lower migration routes toward the Laramie River drainages.
Mule Deer
common qualityA solid limited-draw deer unit riding the same high public country, though buck success runs modest (recently around one in seven). Bucks use the aspen and mountain-shrub benches and timber edges below the alpine, sliding lower as weather pushes in.
- →Glass the aspen and shrub edges on the mid-elevation benches at first and last light.
- →Cover ground with optics from high vantage points — this is spot-and-stalk country, not road hunting.
- →Later hunts improve as bucks drop off the high country toward the Laramie River valley and lower timber.
Pronghorn
limited opportunityA pocket pronghorn opportunity in the open Laramie River valley and grassy parks on the east side, with modest tag numbers and success around one in four. A secondary, valley-bottom hunt rather than a reason to draw this high-country unit.
- →Focus the open grass parks and sage along the Laramie River valley on the eastern side of the unit.
- →Glass long from the two-tracks and use terrain to close in wide-open country.
- →Mind the ranch boundaries along the river — much of the pronghorn ground fringes private land.
Pro tips
- →Elk here is fully limited-draw — plan a preference-point application, not an over-the-counter trip.
- →The Rawah Wilderness is the heart of the unit — a foot-and-horse hunt deep off the trailheads pays off in solitude and better animals.
- →Nearly 90% public with framing roads on two sides makes this an unusually accessible high-country unit — use that access to get deep.
- →Watch the weather window; early snow can shut the high roads and end access to the best country fast.
- →Colorado State Trust lands are not huntable unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
Watch out for
- !Fully limited-draw for elk — no walk-up OTC opportunity.
- !Rawah Wilderness is foot-and-horse only — no motorized access.
- !Early high-country snow can close roads and strand vehicles.
- !Private ranch ground along the Laramie River valley requires permission.
- !Colorado State Trust lands are closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
Logistics
Fort Collins is the full-service hub about an hour and a half down the Poudre Canyon on Highway 14, with fuel, groceries, motels, and gear. Walden (North Park) and Laramie, Wyoming are alternate approaches from the west and north. Plan to camp on the forest; the Laramie River Road and Deadman network are the arteries, and high-clearance vehicles help on the rougher spurs. Weather at this elevation turns fast — carry layers and recovery gear, and expect thin-to-no cell coverage off the highway.
Nearest towns: Fort Collins, CO, Walden, CO, Red Feather Lakes, CO, Laramie, WY
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 — GMU 7 (Larimer County) · USFS Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
FAQ
- How big is GMU 7 in Colorado?
- GMU 7 (GMU 7 — Larimer Co.) covers about 244 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,000 to 12,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 7?
- Approximately 87% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, BLM, private ranch. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 7?
- 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 7 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.