Unit 241 West Desert, Deep Creek
A 12,000-foot granite sky-island on the Nevada line — Rocky Mountain bighorn, quality mule deer and true wilderness solitude.
Western Utah — Deep Creek Mountains / Ibapah (Great Basin) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
655
sq mi
Public land
80%
approx.
Elevation
4,800–12,087
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
The West Desert, Deep Creek unit is anchored by the Deep Creek Mountains, the fourth-highest range in the Great Basin, rising nearly 7,800 feet from the desert floor to Ibapah and Haystack peaks above 12,000 feet on the Utah-Nevada border. It is one of Utah's most remote and dramatic hunt units — a granite-cored sky island cloaked in every life zone from salt desert to alpine tundra, ringed by BLM wilderness study lands, the Goshute (Confederated Tribes of the Goshute) reservation and scattered ranch ground near Ibapah and Callao. The Deeps hold a prized Rocky Mountain bighorn herd reintroduced in the 1980s, limited-entry quality mule deer, and a rugged elk and pronghorn presence for hunters willing to go deep.
Terrain
The desert floor at roughly 4,800 feet climbs steeply through nine perennial stream canyons to Ibapah Peak (12,087 ft) and Haystack Peak — an abrupt, glacially sculpted granite range standing alone above the Great Basin flats.
Cover: Salt-desert shrub and sagebrush-grassland benches give way to pinyon-juniper, then Douglas-fir, limber pine and aspen in the canyons, capped by bristlecone stands and alpine meadows near the crest. Bonneville cutthroat trout hold in the higher streams.
Landmarks: Ibapah Peak (12,087 ft) · Haystack Peak · Red Mountain · Granite Creek Canyon · Deep Creek Mountains WSA · Callao · Trout Creek · Ibapah / Goshute Reservation
Access
Overwhelmingly BLM public land (including the Deep Creek Mountains Wilderness Study Area) with SITLA state trust parcels, but the Goshute Reservation on the west side around Ibapah is tribal land closed to public hunting, and private ranch ground clusters at Callao, Trout Creek and Ibapah. Access is by long, remote gravel and two-track roads, frequently requiring 4WD; the range interior is roadless foot-and-horseback country.
Managers: BLM, SITLA, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation (tribal — closed to non-tribal hunting), private
Access points: Granite Creek Canyon Road · Ibapah Road / Pony Express corridor · Callao CCC camp (south end) · Trout Creek access · Snake Valley / SR-6 (Nevada side)
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyA coveted once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn herd, reintroduced to the Deeps in 1984 and supplemented later, inhabiting the high granite crags and canyon walls. A rare, physically demanding tag.
- →Glass the high granite faces, cliff bands and canyon rims above the timber
- →Pack in and camp high to hunt the alpine and subalpine terrain
- →Focus on rugged escape cover near the peaks
- →Be in top physical shape and prepared for remote, self-supported hunting
Mule Deer
common qualityA limited-entry deer unit managed for better age class and lower pressure, with mature bucks summering high in the aspen and conifer and using the canyon systems. Deep, remote country rewards effort.
- →Glass aspen fringes and conifer pockets high in the canyons early and late
- →Hunt migration corridors down the canyons as fall storms hit
- →Work the rough, roadless pockets where old bucks escape pressure
- →Cover the pinyon-juniper benches on the lower flanks
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityElk use the timbered canyons and higher benches of the Deeps year-round, offering quality bulls in remote terrain.
- →Bugle the aspen-conifer canyon heads at dawn during the rut
- →Glass the perennial-stream drainages and their willow bottoms
- →Focus on water and wallows in the dry early season
- →Hunt the timbered pockets away from the few roads
Pronghorn
common opportunityAntelope range the sage-grass flats and Snake Valley basins surrounding the range.
- →Glass the open valley floors and sage benches from high points
- →Spot-and-stalk using the ground's rolls
- →Watch water sources in the arid desert
Cougar
common qualityThe deer herd supports a strong cougar population through the canyons and cliff country.
- →Cut for tracks on the canyon roads after fresh snow
- →Focus on deer wintering areas on the lower benches
Pro tips
- →Treat a sheep tag here as the hunt of a lifetime — scout the granite crest in advance and be ready to live high and self-supported.
- →Know the Goshute Reservation boundary near Ibapah — it is tribal land closed to public hunting.
- →Go prepared for total self-sufficiency: no services, no cell coverage, long 4WD roads.
- →The roadless range interior is your solitude — a day into the canyons leaves everyone behind.
- →Time deer and elk hunts to the first hard storms to catch animals dropping down the canyons.
Watch out for
- !Goshute Reservation (tribal land) near Ibapah — closed to public hunting
- !Extreme remoteness — no services, fuel or cell coverage for many miles
- !Rough 4WD roads that turn impassable in bad weather
- !Sudden alpine storms and hypothermia risk near the crest
- !Private ranch inholdings at Callao, Trout Creek and Ibapah
Logistics
This is one of the most isolated units in Utah — the nearest real services are in Wendover roughly 60 miles north or Delta well to the southeast, with only tiny outposts at Ibapah and Callao. Fuel up and provision fully before you leave pavement; carry water, recovery gear, spare tires and a way to communicate off-grid. Dispersed camping on BLM ground is the norm and there is no cell service across most of the unit.
Nearest towns: Wendover, Ibapah, Callao, Delta, Ely, NV
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: BLM — Deep Creek Mountains and Scott's Basin WSA · Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance — Deep Creek Mountains · UDWR Utah Big Game Application Guidebook 2026 · GOHUNT — Utah West Desert / Deep Creek Unit Profiles
FAQ
- How big is Unit 241 in Utah?
- Unit 241 (West Desert, Deep Creek) covers about 655 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,800 to 12,087 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 241?
- Approximately 80% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, SITLA, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation (tribal — closed to non-tribal hunting), private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 241?
- Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 241 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.