Unit 309 San Juan, San Juan River
The wild canyon country north of the San Juan River — Cedar Mesa, Grand Gulch and the Goosenecks wrapped around a once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn herd
Southeastern Utah — Cedar Mesa / Bears Ears & the San Juan River · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
752
sq mi
Public land
92%
approx.
Elevation
3,700–6,800
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
The San Juan River subunit of the sprawling San Juan (Unit 14) complex fills the great triangle of slickrock between Lake Powell, SR-95/SR-261 and the San Juan River, taking in Cedar Mesa, Grand Gulch, the Clay Hills and the Goosenecks canyon country. Its identity is desert bighorn sheep — a once-in-a-lifetime tag on a herd re-established by transplant since 2008 and managed toward roughly 125 animals, contiguous with the established sheep on the Navajo side of the river. Mule deer and a scattering of elk range the mesa tops and pinyon-juniper benches under Utah's premium San Juan management, but sheep are the marquee. Much of the unit lies within Bears Ears National Monument, so cultural-site and travel rules apply.
Terrain
A tilted slickrock plateau sliced by deep canyons. Cedar Mesa rises to roughly 6,500-6,800 ft along its northern rim near SR-95, then falls southward through the labyrinth of Grand Gulch, Slickhorn, Johns and other canyons to the Goosenecks and the San Juan River, dropping to the Lake Powell shoreline near 3,700 ft in the Clay Hills. Extreme vertical relief along the river and canyon rims; rolling pinyon-juniper flats on the mesa tops.
Cover: Cold-desert canyon country: pinyon-juniper woodland blankets the mesa tops and benches, with sagebrush, blackbrush, grasses and cliffrose on the flats, cottonwood and tamarisk along the San Juan River, and vast expanses of bare slickrock, cliff bands and talus that form the classic sheep escape terrain.
Landmarks: Cedar Mesa · Grand Gulch · Goosenecks of the San Juan (state park) · Moki Dugway / SR-261 · Clay Hills · Slickhorn Canyon · Johns Canyon · Red House Cliffs / Nokai Dome · Halls Crossing (Lake Powell) · Bears Ears National Monument
Access
Overwhelmingly public — BLM canyon country, much of it inside Bears Ears National Monument, with NPS Glen Canyon NRA along the Lake Powell shoreline and scattered SITLA state-trust sections (open to hunting). Paved access via SR-95, SR-261 and US-163; the interior is reached on graded and 4WD routes such as the Snow Flat, Cigarette Spring, Johns Canyon and Clay Hills roads, plus the steep unpaved Moki Dugway switchbacks on SR-261. Much of Grand Gulch and Cedar Mesa is effectively roadless, and Bears Ears travel and cultural-resource restrictions apply. Halls Crossing offers boat access to the San Juan arm of Lake Powell.
Managers: BLM (Monticello Field Office / Bears Ears National Monument), NPS (Glen Canyon NRA along Lake Powell), SITLA, private
Access points: SR-95 (north boundary) · SR-261 / Moki Dugway · US-163 near Mexican Hat · SR-276 to Halls Crossing marina · Snow Flat / Cigarette Spring Cedar Mesa roads · Johns Canyon & Goosenecks roads · Clay Hills road toward the San Juan River · Lake Powell boat access (Halls Crossing / Bullfrog)
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyThe signature hunt. Desert bighorn were re-established on the north side of the San Juan River by transplant beginning in 2008 and are managed toward roughly 125 animals, contiguous with the long-established herd on the Navajo Nation across the river. Tags are once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn permits — a rare and prized draw in remote, rugged country.
- →Glass the cliff bands, talus aprons and river benches along the San Juan River corridor, the Goosenecks and the mouths of Grand Gulch, Slickhorn and Johns canyons where sheep hold to escape terrain
- →Hike the canyon rims off Cedar Mesa to look down into the drainages
- →Invest days behind a spotting scope building a ram list before committing to a stalk in the vertical sandstone
- →Consider boat access on the San Juan arm of Lake Powell to reach otherwise unreachable canyon country
Mule Deer
common qualitySan Juan is one of Utah's premium deer complexes, and desert mule deer use the Cedar Mesa tops, pinyon-juniper benches and canyon breaks here. Densities are lower than the forested Elk Ridge/Abajo country to the north, but the unit's overall trophy management and lightly hunted mesa country can produce mature bucks for hunters who cover ground.
- →Glass pinyon-juniper edges and canyon-rim benches at first and last light
- →Hunt the broken slickrock breaks below the mesa rims where bucks bed in shade and security
- →Water is a key limiting resource — focus on seeps, guzzlers and greener draws in dry early seasons
- →Be prepared to pack deer out of steep canyon terrain
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited qualityThe greater San Juan unit is famous for big bulls under premium management, but elk are transient and low-density in this southern desert subunit, using the higher Cedar Mesa pinyon-juniper and wooded draws seasonally rather than holding in numbers.
- →Concentrate on the highest Cedar Mesa ground near SR-95 where elk find cover and water
- →Locate bulls by bugling at dawn during the rut, then close through the pinyon-juniper
- →Check remote water sources in dry desert country
Cougar
common opportunityCanyon country holds a healthy cougar population tracking the deer and sheep herds — DWR identifies cougars as the primary predator on the San Juan bighorns. Broken slickrock and dense side-canyons make ideal lion habitat.
- →Cut fresh tracks in canyon-bottom sand and on snow-dusted mesa roads in winter
- →Focus on deer wintering areas in the canyon breaks and along the river benches
Pro tips
- →If you draw the sheep tag, treat it as a bucket-list expedition — scout multiple times and glass the entire San Juan River canyon system, the Goosenecks and the canyon mouths to build a ram list
- →The best sheep and deer country is miles beyond the last drivable track — plan spike camps and long approaches on foot
- →Carry far more water than you think you need; reliable water away from the river is scarce
- →Watch the weather religiously — a single storm can strand you behind miles of impassable clay or a washed-out canyon
Watch out for
- !Much of the unit lies in Bears Ears National Monument — respect cultural-site protections and travel restrictions, and do not disturb the abundant archaeological ruins
- !Clay roads (Clay Hills, Johns Canyon) become impassable when wet; the Moki Dugway is treacherous in bad weather
- !Flash-flood danger in narrow slickrock canyons during monsoon storms
- !Extreme heat and scarce water early season
- !No cell service across most of the interior — carry a satellite device
- !Vertical canyon terrain and long pack-outs demand serious fitness
Logistics
Blanding and Bluff are the closest full-service towns; Mexican Hat has fuel and limited lodging near the southeast corner, and Halls Crossing serves the Lake Powell end. Beyond the pavement you are deeply self-sufficient — carry extra fuel, water for the whole trip, recovery gear and high-clearance/4WD. Clay-based roads (Clay Hills, Johns Canyon) turn to grease when wet, and the Moki Dugway is steep and slick in bad weather. Cell service is limited to nonexistent across the interior; carry a satellite communicator and download offline maps.
Nearest towns: Mexican Hat, Bluff, Blanding, Halls Crossing, Monticello
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR San Juan Bighorn Sheep Unit Management Plan (San Juan River subunit; boundary, ~125 objective, 2008 transplant) · UDWR Deer Herd Unit Management Plan — Unit 14 San Juan · GOHUNT — Utah San Juan Unit Profiles · BLM Bears Ears National Monument / Cedar Mesa (Kane Gulch) visitor info
FAQ
- How big is Unit 309 in Utah?
- Unit 309 (San Juan, San Juan River) covers about 752 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,700 to 6,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 309?
- Approximately 92% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM (Monticello Field Office / Bears Ears National Monument), NPS (Glen Canyon NRA along Lake Powell), SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 309?
- Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 309 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.