Unit 302 Cache, North
The northern Bear River Range above Logan against the Idaho line — Franklin Basin and Tony Grove high country, general-season deer, quality elk and a coveted Shiras moose tag.
Northern Utah — Bear River Range (Cache North) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
240
sq mi
Public land
78%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–9,980
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Cache, North is the northern half of Utah's Bear River Range, running from Logan Canyon north to the Idaho state line and taking in the Franklin Basin, Tony Grove, Steam Mill and Naomi Peak high country of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. It is classic northern-Utah mountain deer country — steep aspen-and-conifer slopes rising off the Cache Valley floor with abrupt summer and winter ranges. Hunted general-season for deer, it also carries a quality-managed limited-entry elk hunt and one of Utah's northern Shiras moose units, with the Mount Naomi Wilderness forming a roadless backcountry core along the crest.
Terrain
Steep Bear River Range front rising from the Cache Valley floor near Logan, Smithfield and Richmond up through timbered canyons to alpine peaks and basins on the crest near Naomi Peak, with a wilderness core along the high divide.
Cover: Sagebrush, oakbrush and maple on the lower foothills and winter range, aspen and mixed conifer through the mid-slopes and canyons, spruce-fir and alpine meadow near the crest.
Landmarks: Logan Canyon (US-89) · Franklin Basin · Tony Grove Lake · Naomi Peak · Mount Naomi Wilderness · Steam Mill / Temple Fork · Beaver Mountain
Access
The high country is national forest with good road and trailhead access via Logan Canyon (US-89), the Tony Grove road and the Franklin Basin road, while the Mount Naomi Wilderness along the crest is foot/horse only. Private and SITLA parcels dominate the lower Cache Valley bench and the canyon mouths near Logan, Smithfield and Richmond — the crucial low winter range is heavily private and developed, so hunters must knock or verify boundaries to reach lower ground.
Managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, private
Access points: Logan Canyon / US-89 · Tony Grove Lake Road · Franklin Basin Road · Green Canyon / Smithfield Canyon · Cottonwood Canyon / Richmond
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityGeneral-season mule deer unit. Deer summer high in the aspen and conifer of the Bear River Range and migrate down abruptly to lower west-side and canyon-mouth winter range as snow arrives; low-elevation winter range is the herd's limiting factor.
- →Glass aspen edges and timbered basins high early in the season
- →Hunt the transition zones as storms trigger migration to lower ground
- →Get into the Mount Naomi Wilderness fringe to escape road pressure
- →Work oakbrush and maple pockets on the lower slopes late season
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityManaged for quality bulls on the limited-entry side; elk hold in the timbered canyons and high basins of the Bear River Range and use the Franklin Basin and Steam Mill country.
- →Work timbered parks and meadow edges at first and last light
- →Get well back off the Logan Canyon and Franklin Basin roads into quieter drainages
- →Locate bugling bulls during the rut, then move in on the timber pockets
- →Push toward the wilderness core where pressure thins
Moose
common qualityShiras moose use the willow bottoms, aspen and spruce-fir riparian of the Bear River Range drainages; a once-in-a-lifetime Utah tag in the Cache country.
- →Still-hunt willow flats and beaver complexes along the creeks
- →Check riparian corridors near Tony Grove and Franklin Basin at dawn and dusk
- →Scout the days before opener to pin specific bulls to bottoms
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears work the aspen, oakbrush and berry pockets of the Bear River Range and are hunted on the limited-entry side.
- →Focus on aspen benches and oakbrush with berry and mast feed
- →Check riparian corridors and spring greenup in the timber
- →Glass avalanche chutes and open feed slopes at dawn and dusk
Cougar
common opportunityMountain lions follow the deer herds through the canyons and foothills of the range and are hunted, typically with snow for tracking.
- →Cut tracks on canyon and forest roads after fresh snow
- →Concentrate where deer winter on the lower slopes
- →Work canyon-to-ridge travel routes
Pro tips
- →Use US-89, Tony Grove and Franklin Basin roads to reach high, then hike off the corridors into quiet drainages
- →Time late-season deer hunting to the first big storms that push migration down
- →Hunt the Mount Naomi Wilderness fringe for less-pressured elk and deer
- →Glass willow bottoms near Tony Grove and Franklin Basin at dawn for moose
- →Sort out access early — the low winter range is largely private and developed
Watch out for
- !Crucial low winter range is heavily private and urbanizing along Cache Valley — verify access before hunting low
- !Upper forest roads close early with snow
- !Mount Naomi Wilderness along the crest bans motorized/mechanized travel
- !SITLA and private parcels scattered at the canyon mouths — confirm boundaries
- !Rapid alpine weather near Naomi Peak
Logistics
Logan is a full-service hub at the mouth of Logan Canyon with everything a hunter needs, and Smithfield and Richmond give northern access to the range. US-89 through Logan Canyon is the paved spine, with the Tony Grove and Franklin Basin roads reaching high into the forest; upper roads close with early snow. Idaho-side towns like Franklin and Preston offer northern staging near the state line.
Nearest towns: Logan, Smithfield, Richmond, Franklin, ID, Preston, ID
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Cache Deer Herd Unit Management Plan (#2) · UDWR Utah Hunt Planner — Big Game Boundaries · UDWR Utah Big Game Application Guidebook 2026
FAQ
- How big is Unit 302 in Utah?
- Unit 302 (Cache, North) covers about 240 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 9,980 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 302?
- Approximately 78% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 302?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Moose, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
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