Unit 20 Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn
An island mountain range rising out of the salt flats — a remote California-bighorn and desert pronghorn unit for hunters who go far and pack everything
Northwestern Utah — West Desert / Great Salt Lake Desert (Newfoundland Mountains) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,805
sq mi
Public land
95%
approx.
Elevation
4,300–7,000
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
The Newfoundland Mountains stand like a ship on the ocean, rising abruptly some 2,000 feet out of the Great Salt Lake Desert salt flats in far western Box Elder County. This is deep West Desert country — an isolated, waterless island range surrounded by mudflats and playa, more than an hour of rough dirt from the nearest pavement. The Newfoundland unit is best known as a California bighorn sheep range, a coveted limited-draw tag on a transplanted herd holding the rugged escape terrain. Desert mule deer are thin and localized in the range itself, while pronghorn scatter across the surrounding open basins. Everything about this unit is about self-sufficiency and distance.
Terrain
Flat salt-desert playa around 4,300 ft surrounding an abruptly rising, rocky island range that tops out near 7,000 ft (Desert Peak). Steep, broken slopes and cliff bands provide classic bighorn escape terrain above a sea of salt flats.
Cover: Barren salt flats and greasewood/shadscale on the playa; sparse desert shrub, sage, and scattered pinyon-juniper on the mountain slopes; a handful of springs (four perennial, roughly a dozen seasonal) support small pockets of greener vegetation.
Landmarks: Newfoundland Mountains (island range) · Desert Peak · Great Salt Lake Desert / Bonneville Salt Flats · Newfoundland Evaporation Basin · surrounding open desert basins
Access
Almost entirely BLM public land with SITLA parcels, essentially all open to hunting and dispersed use — there is virtually no private ground and no towns. Access is via long, remote graded and primitive dirt roads across the West Desert, typically off the Transcontinental Railroad backcountry byway and the network north of the salt flats; the last miles to the range are rough. There is no water, no fuel, no services, and no cell coverage anywhere near the unit. Playa and mudflat roads become impassable when wet.
Managers: BLM, SITLA (state trust — generally open)
Access points: Transcontinental Railroad backcountry byway (West Desert) · Primitive BLM roads approaching the range from the north and east · Long dirt approaches off I-80 / the Wendover corridor to the south · Lucin / Grouse Creek area roads from the north
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
common trophyThe signature hunt. The Newfoundland Mountains hold a transplanted California bighorn sheep herd — one of Utah's few California-race sheep units (alongside the Stansburys and Oak Creek) — managed as a coveted limited-draw ram tag, typically offered as a second-season rifle hunt. The isolated island range concentrates sheep on the steep escape terrain, making for a demanding but high-quality desert-mountain hunt.
- →Glass the steep, rocky slopes, rims, and cliff bands from the salt-flat approaches at first and last light
- →Because the range is compact and treeless, cover it methodically with a spotting scope from multiple vantage points
- →Key on the few perennial springs and the greenest pockets that pull sheep in
- →Plan a multi-day, fully self-supported hunt — there is no bailing out to town nearby
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn range the open West Desert basins and flats around the Newfoundland Mountains in scattered numbers. A spot-and-stalk opportunity across big, empty country rather than a trophy antelope destination, and part of the broader Box Elder desert pronghorn management.
- →Glass the open sagebrush and greasewood basins around the range from high points
- →Use the few terrain folds and washes to close distance in featureless country
- →Watch the handful of water sources and greener basins at dawn and dusk
Mule Deer
limited opportunityA small, localized desert mule deer presence in the Newfoundland range and adjacent basins — deer numbers are low in this waterless island country. Incidental opportunity rather than a primary target.
- →Hunt the pinyon-juniper pockets and canyon heads on the mountain that hold any cover and browse
- →Glass shaded slopes near the springs in the morning
- →Cover ground and glass — deer are few and scattered
Pro tips
- →Treat this as a fully self-supported expedition — pack all water, fuel, food, and recovery gear; there is nothing out here
- →The California bighorn tag is a hard-to-draw limited-entry hunt; apply, bank points, and prepare physically for steep rock
- →Carry a satellite communicator — there is zero cell service and help is hours away
- →Glass the compact island range methodically from multiple vantages rather than hiking blind
- →Watch the weather and stay off the playa/mudflat roads when rain threatens — they become impassable
Watch out for
- !No water, fuel, services, or cell coverage anywhere near the unit — total self-sufficiency required
- !Salt-flat and playa roads become impassable when wet; vehicles can bog down miles from help
- !Extreme remoteness — a breakdown or injury is a serious emergency out here
- !Deer and pronghorn densities are low; this is primarily a sheep unit
- !Rough primitive roads and long distances chew up vehicles and tires
Logistics
This is one of the most remote hunts in Utah — plan for total self-sufficiency. The nearest fuel and supplies are a long drive away in Wendover (south, on I-80), Montello NV, or Snowville/Tremonton (north), and there are no services of any kind near the range. Carry all your own water, extra fuel, food, recovery gear, and a way to fix flats; high-clearance 4WD is essential and the primitive roads punish vehicles. There is no cell coverage — a satellite communicator is a must. Salt-flat and playa routes turn to impassable muck after rain.
Nearest towns: Montello, NV, Wendover, Snowville, Grouse Creek, Tremonton
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: Utah DWR — Box Elder, Newfoundland Mountain Bighorn Sheep Unit Management Plan · Utah DWR — Hunt Planner / hunt boundaries · Utah Wild Sheep Foundation — Where to find bighorn sheep in Utah (California bighorn: Newfoundland/Stansbury) · SUWA — Newfoundland Mountains Wilderness (springs, wildlife, salt-flat setting)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 20 in Utah?
- Unit 20 (Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn) covers about 1,805 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,300 to 7,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 20?
- Approximately 95% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, SITLA (state trust — generally open). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 20?
- Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 20 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.