Unit 55 55 (South Hills)
Granite high country over sage foothills — a mule deer opportunity unit crowned by Cache Peak and City of Rocks.
South-Central Idaho — Cassia County (Albion Mountains / City of Rocks) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,014
sq mi
Public land
53%
approx.
Elevation
4,100–10,339
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 55 sits in Cassia County along the Idaho-Utah line, running south from Burley and Oakley to the state border. Its core is the Albion Mountain range, capped by 10,339-foot Cache Peak — one of the highest points in southern Idaho — with the Jim Sage and Middle mountains and the granite spires of City of Rocks National Reserve to the west. The high ground is largely public (BLM, Sawtooth National Forest, state, and NPS), while the low country is private ranch and farm ground. Mule deer are the draw, with scattered elk, a small pronghorn hunt, and rare controlled sheep and moose tags.
Terrain
Steep, granitic alpine and subalpine ridges in the Albion Range fall away to juniper-clad foothills and broad sage flats along Goose Creek and the Raft River valley margins.
Cover: Rangeland sagebrush-bunchgrass dominates (~55%) with dense pinyon-juniper on the mid-slopes and forest (~17%) topping out in aspen, Douglas-fir, and subalpine fir; roughly a quarter of the unit is dryland and irrigated farm ground.
Landmarks: Cache Peak (10,339 ft) · Albion Mountains · Jim Sage Mountains · City of Rocks National Reserve · Castle Rocks State Park · Goose Creek Reservoir · Oakley
Access
About 53% public but split between high-elevation BLM/Forest ground and low private ranch and farm land — the pattern is public up top, private below. Most of City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park are open to hunting. Forest and BLM roads climb the Albion and Jim Sage ranges from the Oakley-Goose Creek and Elba-Almo roads; expect to cross private to reach some public.
Managers: BLM, Sawtooth NF (USFS), Idaho Dept of Lands (IDL), National Park Service (City of Rocks)
Access points: Oakley-Goose Creek Road · Elba-Almo Road to City of Rocks · Sawtooth NF roads into the Albion Range · Goose Creek Reservoir
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe headline species and a general-season opportunity hunt. Good numbers of deer hold at higher elevations; success runs modest and movement is unpredictable without scouting, so the reward goes to hunters who cover country.
- →Glass the juniper-sage transition and open basins in the Albion and Jim Sage ranges at first and last light
- →Hunt higher during warm early season, then work down to winter range on the sage foothills as snow builds
- →During the late-October rut, still-hunt bucks moving through the pinyon-juniper benches
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityPart of the Owyhee-South Hills Elk Zone. Scattered pockets of elk dot the range and success is low, but hunters willing to grind out the timbered high basins can find them on general opportunity.
- →Locate elk in the aspen and fir pockets near the highest Albion basins, then still-hunt the timber
- →Hunt dawn and dusk on the forest-rangeland edge where elk feed
- →Push into steep, roadless benches away from pressure
Pronghorn
limited opportunityA small controlled-hunt pronghorn opportunity on the open sage flats, with solid success (around two-thirds) for the few who draw.
- →Glass wide sage flats and bench tops early and late
- →Use terrain rolls and gullies to close the distance on exposed bucks
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyA rare, coveted controlled tag with very few permits — recent harvest is a handful of rams at essentially full success. A once-in-a-lifetime draw, not a hunt to plan a season around.
- →Focus the steep, rocky Cache Peak and upper Albion escarpments
- →Glass from a distance and let rams settle before committing to a long approach
Moose
limited qualityA very small controlled-hunt moose opportunity — only a handful of tags but near-certain success for those who draw. Animals concentrate in the wetter high-country pockets.
- →Hunt aspen stringers, willow bottoms, and mountain meadows in the upper Albion Range
- →Scout water and forage in the days before the hunt to pin down bulls
Pro tips
- →Public up high, private down low — map ownership before you hunt, especially at road access into the Albion and Jim Sage ranges.
- →City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park are largely open to hunting and offer public access many hunters overlook.
- →This is an opportunity unit for average mule deer, not a trophy destination — hunt hard and cover ground.
- →Motorcycles or ATVs on designated trails help reach high early-season deer in steep country.
- →Sheep and moose here are lottery-odds controlled tags; apply, but build your season around deer and elk.
Watch out for
- !Roughly 48% private in the low country — trespass risk is real; carry a current ownership map.
- !Early snow can strand vehicles on the high Albion Forest roads.
- !Steep granite terrain near Cache Peak is demanding and unforgiving in bad weather.
- !City of Rocks and Castle Rocks draw heavy climbing and recreation traffic — expect non-hunters.
Logistics
Burley is the full-service hub (fuel, lodging, licenses, groceries) off I-84; Oakley and Albion offer limited supplies closer to the mountains. Sawtooth National Forest campgrounds around Cache Peak and City of Rocks provide staging, and the Elba-Almo and Oakley-Goose Creek roads are the main arteries into the high country.
Nearest towns: Oakley, Burley, Albion, Almo, Malta
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 55 (boundary, ownership %, terrain, species list) · GoHunt — Idaho Unit 55 profile (elevation, Albion/Jim Sage ranges, deer/elk notes)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 55 in Idaho?
- Unit 55 (55 (South Hills)) covers about 1,014 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,100 to 10,339 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 55?
- Approximately 53% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, Sawtooth NF (USFS), Idaho Dept of Lands (IDL), National Park Service (City of Rocks). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 55?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep, Moose. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 55 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.