Unit 266 Unit 266
The Eldorado Mountains on the Colorado River — a boat-access desert-sheep unit below Boulder City
Southern Nevada — Clark County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
206
sq mi
Public land
95%
approx.
Elevation
700–3,800
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 266 covers most of the Eldorado Mountains where they drop straight into the Colorado River and Lake Mohave, southeast of Boulder City in Clark County. It is a desert bighorn sheep unit at heart — recent draw hunters have filled essentially every ram tag issued (five rams over the last five years at 100% success), on a tiny handful of premium once-in-a-lifetime tags. Expect a hot, rocky, cliff-country hunt with the unusual option of using a boat on Lake Mohave to reach otherwise roadless sheep ground.
Terrain
Low, rugged desert range: bajadas and washes climbing into steep, broken volcanic and granite slopes that end in cliff bands and deep canyons dropping to the river. Modest peak elevations but sharp, unforgiving vertical relief along the Colorado.
Cover: Creosote-bursage flats grading into blackbrush, desert scrub, and barren rock on the slopes and cliffs; almost no tree cover and very little natural water away from the river.
Landmarks: Eldorado Mountains · Colorado River / Lake Mohave · Boy Scout Canyon · Burro Wash · Black Canyon · Eldorado Wilderness · US-95
Access
Almost all of the unit sits inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area, with a smaller strip of BLM ground on the west; it is overwhelmingly public. Roads reach the sheep country from the US-95 corridor and Boulder City side, but much of the best cliff ground is roadless — many hunters launch a boat on Lake Mohave and access canyons from the water. High-clearance 4WD and ATVs/side-by-sides help on the desert tracks.
Managers: NPS Lake Mead National Recreation Area, BLM
Access points: US-95 (Boulder City / Searchlight) · Lake Mohave boat launches (Cottonwood Cove, Katherine Landing area) · Eldorado Mountains desert two-tracks · Boy Scout Canyon approaches
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
common qualityThe reason to draw this unit. Desert bighorn hold a solid ram population in the Eldorado cliffs, and recent tag holders have filled at essentially 100% on a very small number of premium once-in-a-lifetime tags. Treat any legal ram as a trophy.
- →Concentrate on Boy Scout Canyon and Burro Wash, where rams historically hold in the steep, broken country.
- →Use a boat on Lake Mohave to reach roadless canyons and glass the river-facing cliffs from the water.
- →Glass the ledges and cliff bands at first and last light with high-end optics on a tripod — sheep are found from long range, not by walking.
- →Plan patient stalks up loose volcanic rock; pick a ram, mark him, and use the terrain to close without skylining.
Pro tips
- →This is a sheep-focused unit — build the whole hunt around desert bighorn and don't count on a fallback species.
- →A boat on Lake Mohave is a genuine tactical advantage for reaching roadless river cliffs.
- →Scout guzzlers, seeps, and the river edge; water concentrates rams in the heat.
- →Preload the unit boundary and the Lake Mead NRA lines on your GPS before leaving pavement.
- →Bring high-end glass and a tripod — the open, rocky country is glassed at long range.
Watch out for
- !Extreme early-season heat and almost no natural water away from the river — carry far more water than you think you need.
- !Steep, loose volcanic cliffs above the river are genuinely dangerous; a fall in this terrain is serious.
- !Boat hunters face big-water hazards on Lake Mohave — wind, cold water, and remote shorelines.
- !Resident mule deer numbers are low; do not plan the hunt around deer.
- !No cell service in the canyons — a breakdown or injury without a satellite communicator is a serious situation.
Logistics
Stage out of Boulder City or Searchlight for fuel, food, and lodging, with full services in the Las Vegas metro and at Laughlin to the south. There are no developed hunt camps inside the unit — dry-camp on Lake Mead NRA / BLM ground or base at a Lake Mohave marina if hunting from a boat. Haul in all drinking water. Cell service is spotty to nonexistent in the canyons; carry a satellite messenger. Early-season heat is the dominant hazard.
Nearest towns: Boulder City, NV, Searchlight, NV, Laughlin, NV, Las Vegas, NV
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Nevada sources:
Research sources: NDOW Hunt Information Sheets · NDOW Big Game Seasons 2025-2027 (Unit Group 264/265/266) · GoHunt — Nevada Unit 266 (cross-check)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 266 in Nevada?
- Unit 266 (Unit 266) covers about 206 square miles, ranging from roughly 700 to 3,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 266?
- Approximately 95% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: NPS Lake Mead National Recreation Area, BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 266?
- Bighorn Sheep. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Nevada agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 266 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.