Unit 194 San Rafael, North
The northern Swell where the Wasatch Plateau's Manti elk country meets the slickrock — general-season mule deer with a famous elk unit on its western shoulder
Central Utah — northern San Rafael Swell / Castle Valley front · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,685
sq mi
Public land
85%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–8,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
This is the northern San Rafael Swell above I-70, wrapping the Castle Valley towns of Castle Dale, Ferron, Huntington, and Price in Emery and Carbon Counties. The country transitions from the timbered eastern flank of the Wasatch Plateau (Manti-La Sal National Forest) down through sagebrush foothills and Castle Valley farmland into the broken slickrock reefs, buttes, and canyons of the northern Swell — the Wedge Overlook / Little Grand Canyon and Buckhorn Wash country. Mule deer are the general-season draw across this Manti/San Rafael landscape, and the adjacent Manti elk unit is one of Utah's storied limited-entry quality-bull herds. Desert bighorn range the northern reefs.
Terrain
A strong east-west gradient: San Rafael River canyons and Castle Valley bottoms around 4,600–5,500 ft rise westward through sage foothills into the Manti-La Sal high country above 8,000 ft, while the eastern Swell is a maze of reefs, buttes, and incised canyons.
Cover: Salt-desert shrub and sage on the valley floor and Swell flats; pinyon-juniper across the benches and reefs; Gambel oak, aspen, and mountain brush on the plateau front; cottonwood and tamarisk along the San Rafael River and Buckhorn Wash.
Landmarks: The Wedge Overlook / Little Grand Canyon of the San Rafael · Buckhorn Wash and Swinging Bridge · San Rafael Reef (north) · Cedar Mountain · Wasatch Plateau / Manti-La Sal front · Castle Valley (Castle Dale–Huntington–Price)
Access
Predominantly public: BLM across the northern Swell and reefs, Manti-La Sal National Forest on the plateau front to the west, and scattered SITLA parcels that are generally open. The private ground is concentrated in the irrigated Castle Valley corridor along SR-10 between the towns — respect those boundaries. The graded Buckhorn Draw / Wedge road off SR-10 north of Castle Dale is the main artery into the northern Swell; forest roads climb the plateau front from Ferron, Huntington, and Cottonwood/Joes Valley.
Managers: BLM, USFS Manti-La Sal National Forest, SITLA (state trust — generally open), private (Castle Valley farmland)
Access points: Buckhorn Draw Backway / Wedge Overlook road off SR-10 north of Castle Dale · Green River Cutoff (Cedar Mountain) road · Forest roads up the Wasatch Plateau front from Ferron, Huntington, and Joes Valley · SR-10 / SR-31 corridor through Castle Valley · Price and SR-6 as the northern gateway
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe general-season quarry across the northern half of the Manti/San Rafael deer landscape. Deer summer on the Wasatch Plateau front and use the sage foothills and Swell benches on the shoulder seasons and winter. Densities are moderate and the unit sees local pressure, but the mix of forest edge and vast public desert gives hunters room to spread out.
- →Early season, hunt the aspen-and-oak plateau front and mountain-brush pockets on the Manti-La Sal edge
- →Later, glass the sage foothills and juniper benches as deer drop toward Castle Valley winter range
- →Work canyon rims and reef pockets in the Swell for pressured bucks
- →Hunt first and last light along the timber-to-sage transition
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe western shoulder of this unit abuts the Manti limited-entry elk unit — one of Utah's celebrated quality-bull herds on the Wasatch Plateau. Elk summer high in the Manti-La Sal timber and drift onto the foothills and Swell edge in fall and winter. Where limited-entry Manti tags apply, expect controlled pressure and mature bulls; the plateau front here is prime.
- →Hunt dark-timber benches and the heads of drainages on the Manti-La Sal front where bulls bed
- →Glass high meadows and aspen edges at dawn and dusk
- →During the rut, work timbered pockets and parks with calling
- →Late season, intercept elk moving down onto the foothills and Swell edge as snow builds
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyDesert bighorn range the reefs and canyon rims of the northern San Rafael Swell as part of the greater San Rafael herd. Sheep permits are once-in-a-lifetime tags with very long odds, but the terrain along the northern reef and San Rafael River gorge holds quality rams.
- →Glass steep escape terrain and rims along the San Rafael Reef and river canyon
- →Focus on rugged ground near the few reliable water sources
- →Cover country with a spotting scope from high vantages before stalking
Pro tips
- →Split your effort by season — plateau front for early timber hunts, foothills and Swell edge as animals migrate down
- →The Manti elk unit on this shoulder is a quality limited-entry hunt; apply and build points rather than expecting easy tags
- →Respect the private Castle Valley farmland along SR-10 — hunt the abundant BLM, forest, and SITLA ground instead
- →Carry water and run high-clearance in the Buckhorn/Wedge Swell country; the roads have no services
- →Time later hunts to the first plateau snows that nudge deer and elk toward the foothills
Watch out for
- !Private irrigated farmland threads the Castle Valley corridor — verify boundaries near the towns
- !Buckhorn/Swell dirt roads become impassable slick clay when wet
- !Early snow can close or complicate Wasatch Plateau forest roads in later seasons
- !Sheep tags are once-in-a-lifetime with extremely long odds
- !Water is scarce in the Swell portion — pack your own
Logistics
The Castle Valley towns make this one of the more supported units in the region — Price (on US-6) has full services including fuel, groceries, lodging, and game processing, with smaller stores in Castle Dale, Huntington, and Ferron. From the towns you can be hunting plateau timber or Swell slickrock within an hour. The Buckhorn/Wedge road is graded but has no water and turns to slick clay when wet; forest roads up the plateau can hold snow into late fall. Cell coverage is decent in Castle Valley and near Price but drops off fast in the Swell and the high country.
Nearest towns: Price, Castle Dale, Huntington, Ferron, Cleveland
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: Utah DWR — Hunt Planner / hunt boundaries · Utah DWR — deer management plan updates (Manti/San Rafael) · Utah Geological Survey — Wedge Overlook, Little Grand Canyon, Buckhorn Draw · Visit Castle Dale — San Rafael Swell access
FAQ
- How big is Unit 194 in Utah?
- Unit 194 (San Rafael, North) covers about 1,685 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 8,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 194?
- Approximately 85% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, USFS Manti-La Sal National Forest, SITLA (state trust — generally open), private (Castle Valley farmland). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 194?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn Sheep. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 194 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.