GMU 70 GMU 70 — Dolores/Montrose/San Miguel Co.
A big, high-public OTC-elk unit sprawling across the Uncompahgre Plateau
Southwest Colorado — Uncompahgre Plateau (Dolores/Montrose/San Miguel counties) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,512
sq mi
Public land
70%
approx.
Elevation
5,500–14,000
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
GMU 70 is a large (roughly 1,500-square-mile) unit spanning the southern Uncompahgre Plateau in southwest Colorado, running from the Dolores River country up into the Uncompahgre National Forest and reaching the high wilderness peaks near Telluride and Ouray. It is one of the state's classic general-elk units: an unlimited number of over-the-counter bull tags are sold for the second and third rifle seasons, and the plateau's road access and high public-land share draw a lot of hunters. Elk are the biggest producer; mule deer are numerous and fully limited-draw, but the northern-plateau herd has been managed conservatively after low fawn survival and buck ratios.
Terrain
A vast tilted plateau of rolling timber and parks cut by deep canyons draining to the Dolores and San Miguel rivers, rising on the east and south to alpine peaks and the Lizard Head and Mount Sneffels Wilderness areas above 13,000 feet.
Cover: Pinyon-juniper and sage on the lower canyon country and plateau rim, extensive ponderosa pine, aspen, and oak brush across the mid-plateau, grading into spruce-fir and alpine tundra in the high southeast wilderness.
Landmarks: Uncompahgre Plateau · Divide Road · Dolores River · San Miguel River · Lizard Head Wilderness · Mount Sneffels Wilderness · Lone Cone
Access
Roughly 70% public — about 679,000 acres — anchored by the Uncompahgre National Forest on the plateau top and BLM ground on the lower canyon country, with private ranch land concentrated in the river valleys and the lower northwest. Access is genuinely good: the Divide Road runs the spine of the plateau and a dense network of forest roads makes most of the unit vehicle-accessible, which also means real hunting pressure on the OTC seasons. The high southeast wilderness is foot-and-horse only. Colorado State Trust lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
Managers: USFS Uncompahgre National Forest (GMUG), BLM Uncompahgre Field Office, private ranch
Access points: Divide Road (plateau spine) · Uncompahgre National Forest roads off Norwood / Nucla · Dolores River corridor (Highway 141) · Highway 145 / San Miguel River corridor
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
abundant opportunityThe headline species and biggest producer, with a healthy herd at or near objective across the plateau. This is a general over-the-counter unit — unlimited bull tags are sold for the second and third rifle seasons — so it's an opportunity hunt with real hunter numbers rather than a low-pressure trophy draw. Getting off the roads is the whole game.
- →Break well off the Divide Road and the main forest-road network; elk shift to the roadless timber and canyon heads once pressure builds on the OTC seasons.
- →Time archery and muzzleloader hunts to the September rut and bugle the aspen-and-timber benches and dark north slopes.
- →Hunt the canyon-rim transitions where the plateau timber breaks toward the Dolores and San Miguel drainages, especially as snow pushes elk down.
Mule Deer
common qualityA numerous but conservatively managed deer herd — recent buck success ran strong (near 57%), yet doe and buck tags on the northern plateau were cut after poor fawn survival and low buck-to-doe ratios. Fully limited-draw. In early seasons deer are evenly distributed and mostly above 8,000 feet.
- →Hunt the higher plateau above 8,000 feet early, glassing aspen and oak-brush edges at first and last light.
- →Work the pinyon-juniper and sage benches lower on the plateau as deer migrate down with cooling weather.
- →Cover ground with optics from canyon-rim vantage points — the plateau rewards patient glassing over road hunting.
Pro tips
- →Elk is over-the-counter for the 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons — expect company and plan to hunt away from the roads.
- →The Divide Road is the spine of the unit; use it to reach country, then hunt hard on foot off the end of the spurs.
- →Deer tags are limited-draw and have been cut on the northern plateau — apply and manage expectations on buck density.
- →Plateau clay roads get treacherous when wet — carry recovery gear and watch the weather.
- →Colorado State Trust lands are not huntable unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
Watch out for
- !Heavy hunting pressure on the OTC elk seasons, especially near the road network.
- !Private ranch ground in the river valleys and lower northwest requires permission.
- !Lizard Head and Mount Sneffels Wilderness areas are foot-and-horse only.
- !Clay plateau roads turn dangerous fast with rain or early snow.
- !Colorado State Trust lands are closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
Logistics
Norwood, Nucla, and Naturita are the small towns fringing the plateau with basic fuel, groceries, and lodging; Montrose to the northeast and Telluride to the southeast are the larger service hubs. Most hunters camp on the forest and run the Divide Road and its spurs — high-clearance vehicles help, and the plateau roads turn to greasy clay with rain or snow. Cell coverage is patchy on the plateau interior; carry a satellite communicator and plan for weather at elevation.
Nearest towns: Norwood, CO, Naturita, CO, Nucla, CO, Telluride, CO, Montrose, CO
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 70 (Dolores/Montrose/San Miguel) · GOHUNT — Colorado Unit 70 Profile
FAQ
- How big is GMU 70 in Colorado?
- GMU 70 (GMU 70 — Dolores/Montrose/San Miguel Co.) covers about 1,512 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,500 to 14,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 70?
- Approximately 70% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Uncompahgre National Forest (GMUG), BLM Uncompahgre Field Office, private ranch. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 70?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 70 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.