Unit 455 Boulder/Kaiparowits
A vast two-faced unit — alpine Boulder Mountain elk country in the north, remote Kaiparowits desert trophy-buck ground in the south.
Southern Utah — Boulder Mountain / Kaiparowits · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
5,357
sq mi
Public land
92%
approx.
Elevation
4,000–11,300
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
One of Utah's largest units, the Boulder/Kaiparowits sprawls from the high alpine of Boulder Mountain (the Aquarius Plateau) — one of the highest and largest timbered plateaus in North America, dotted with hundreds of trout lakes above 11,000 feet — south across the slickrock canyons of the Escalante and out onto the enormous, roadless Kaiparowits Plateau in Grand Staircase-Escalante country. The Boulder end offers quality limited-entry elk with 350-class potential and good deer; the Kaiparowits is low-density but produces genuine trophy desert mule deer for hunters willing to work brutal, remote country.
Terrain
Extreme range — the spruce-fir and alpine-lake tops of Boulder Mountain (Aquarius Plateau) above 11,000 feet drop through aspen benches and slickrock canyons of the Escalante to the sprawling desert benches and clifflines of the Kaiparowits Plateau.
Cover: Spruce-fir, alpine meadow and aspen cloak the high Boulder; ponderosa, oakbrush and pinyon-juniper cover the mid-elevation benches; the Kaiparowits and lower country are pinyon-juniper, sage, blackbrush and slickrock desert.
Landmarks: Boulder Mountain / Aquarius Plateau · Kaiparowits Plateau · Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument · Escalante River canyons · Hells Backbone · Table Cliff Plateau · Fifty Mile Bench · Death Ridge
Access
Overwhelmingly public — the Dixie NF covers Boulder Mountain and BLM/Grand Staircase-Escalante NM blankets the Kaiparowits and Escalante canyons, with SITLA trust parcels open to hunting. Private ground is limited to the small valley towns (Boulder, Escalante, Escalante Valley). The Boulder has a decent forest-road and ATV network; the Kaiparowits is famously remote with long, rough dirt roads (Smoky Mountain Road, Croton Road) that are impassable when wet and demand high-clearance 4x4, fuel, and water.
Managers: USFS Dixie NF, BLM (Grand Staircase-Escalante NM), SITLA, private
Access points: SR-12 scenic byway between Escalante and Boulder · Hells Backbone Road · Posey Lake and Boulder Mountain forest roads (FR-153/154) · Burr Trail from Boulder · Smoky Mountain Road onto the Kaiparowits · Hole-in-the-Rock Road corridor
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityBoulder Mountain is a quality limited-entry elk unit with a lot of country and genuine 350-class bull potential in the high timber and aspen; access is reasonable off the SR-12 and forest-road network.
- →Bugle the aspen and spruce-fir pockets on Boulder Mountain at dawn during the rut
- →Glass the high meadows, lake basins and burn edges above the timber
- →Work wallows and dark north timber in warm early seasons
- →Push into roadless pockets away from the ATV trails for older bulls
Mule Deer
common trophyA tale of two hunts: solid deer on the Boulder benches, and low-density but genuine trophy potential on the Kaiparowits, where a patient hunter in tough, remote country can find a 180-190+ inch desert buck.
- →On the Kaiparowits, glass big from bench rims and clifflines at first light and cover ground between sightings
- →Hunt the pinyon-juniper and sage benches and slickrock breaks where desert bucks hide
- →On Boulder, work the aspen-brush transition below the high timber
- →Carry water and plan multi-day scouting — Kaiparowits bucks are scattered and hard-won
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn use the open desert benches and valleys on the lower fringes of the unit.
- →Glass open sage and desert flats from high benches
- →Watch water sources in the dry season
Black Bear
common qualityBlack bears work the oakbrush, aspen and berry patches of Boulder Mountain and the Escalante canyon country.
- →Glass oakbrush and serviceberry in late summer
- →Check aspen stands and creek bottoms for sign
Cougar
common qualityLions follow the deer through the timber, canyons and desert breaks across the unit.
- →Cut roads and canyon rims for tracks after snow on Boulder
- →Hunt deer concentration areas and rimrock
Pro tips
- →Decide your hunt style first — Boulder Mountain is accessible alpine elk-and-deer country, the Kaiparowits is a remote, low-density trophy-buck grind.
- →On the Kaiparowits, treat it like a backcountry expedition: high-clearance 4x4, extra fuel and water, and days of glassing between sightings.
- →Never drive Kaiparowits or Smoky Mountain roads when rain threatens — the clay turns to impassable gumbo fast.
- →For Boulder elk, get off the ATV network into roadless timber to find older bulls during the rut.
- →Watch for early snow on Boulder Mountain that can both concentrate game and strand you on high roads.
Watch out for
- !Extremely remote Kaiparowits with no water, fuel or services for long distances
- !Clay desert roads that become impassable gumbo when wet
- !Early snow closing high Boulder Mountain roads
- !Low deer density on the Kaiparowits — a physically demanding hunt
- !Vast unit size — plan travel time and know the sub-area boundaries
Logistics
Escalante and Boulder along SR-12 offer fuel, limited lodging and small groceries; Torrey to the north and Panguitch to the west are larger. The Kaiparowits has no services for many miles — top off fuel and carry extra water, food, and recovery gear. Dispersed camping is abundant on the Dixie NF and BLM; developed sites sit near Posey Lake and along SR-12.
Nearest towns: Escalante, Boulder, Torrey, Panguitch, Big Water
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Utah Big Game Application Guidebook 2026 · GOHUNT — Utah Unit Profiles (Boulder/Kaiparowits) · HuntScore — Plateau, Boulder/Kaiparowits Elk · Hunt Addicts — Utah's Top Hunt Units
FAQ
- How big is Unit 455 in Utah?
- Unit 455 (Boulder/Kaiparowits) covers about 5,357 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,000 to 11,300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 455?
- Approximately 92% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Dixie NF, BLM (Grand Staircase-Escalante NM), SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 455?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 455 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.