Unit 6 Nine Mile, Green River Valley
The low Green River valley and Book Cliffs mouth below the Tavaputs — a small desert-canyon piece of the storied Nine Mile / Range Creek country
Eastern Utah — Green River / Tavaputs Plateau front · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
62
sq mi
Public land
90%
approx.
Elevation
4,000–6,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
This is the Green River Valley subunit at the southeastern foot of the greater Nine Mile, Range Creek unit — the low, arid country where the Green River exits Desolation and Gray canyons near the town of Green River and the Book Cliffs rise as an imposing wall to the north and west. It is the desert-elevation piece of a region better known for its high Tavaputs Plateau limited-entry deer and trophy elk, and it carries an extended-archery deer opportunity in the valley bottoms. Big-game presence is real but low-density here: mule deer and pronghorn on the benches and river terraces, with elk drifting down off the plateau. Nine Mile Canyon itself is a famous Fremont rock-art corridor and the historic road into the high country to the north.
Terrain
Low Green River valley and desert benches around 4,000 ft rising abruptly into the Book Cliffs escarpment and the canyon-cut front of the Tavaputs Plateau. The Green River runs through deep Desolation and Gray canyons just upstream; the valley floor is broad, dry and terraced.
Cover: Desert shrub, greasewood, shadscale and sagebrush on the valley floor and terraces, with cottonwood and tamarisk galleries along the Green River and pinyon-juniper climbing the Book Cliffs breaks.
Landmarks: Green River (town and river) · Book Cliffs · Desolation Canyon · Gray Canyon · Nine Mile Canyon (corridor to the north) · Swaseys Boat Ramp · Tavaputs Plateau front
Access
Overwhelmingly public: the surrounding country is roughly 70% BLM and 25% SITLA state-trust land (open to hunting), with the remaining private ground concentrated in irrigated bottoms near the town of Green River and along the river. Access is off I-70 and US-6 near Green River, up the Nine Mile Canyon Road corridor, and via BLM desert roads and river-access points like Swaseys. Much of the Book Cliffs / Desolation front is rugged, roadless and steep — the canyon country to the north is some of the largest wild BLM land in the Lower 48.
Managers: BLM, SITLA, private
Access points: I-70 Exit 164 / town of Green River · US-6 corridor toward Wellington/Price · Nine Mile Canyon Road (Soldier Creek/Wellington approach) · Swaseys Boat Ramp and river-access roads · BLM desert and Book Cliffs breaks routes
Species notes
Mule Deer
limited opportunityThe valley and Book Cliffs breaks hold desert mule deer at modest density, and this Green River Valley subunit carries an extended-archery deer opportunity in the lower country. It is part of the greater Nine Mile deer picture, but the marquee mature bucks live up on the Tavaputs Plateau to the north — down here it is a lower-density, cover-the-country hunt.
- →Glass the pinyon-juniper benches and Book Cliffs breaks at first and last light
- →Hunt near the river bottoms and side-canyon seeps where deer water and feed
- →Work the transition between the desert flats and the broken cliff country
- →Cover ground with optics — this is open, glassing terrain
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited trophyThe greater Nine Mile, Range Creek unit is a genuine trophy limited-entry elk unit, producing big bulls off the high Tavaputs Plateau. In this low Green River Valley piece elk are transient — drifting down off the plateau and into the canyon breaks — rather than resident, but the unit's overall quality is high.
- →Focus on the Book Cliffs breaks and canyon mouths where elk move between the plateau and the low country
- →Glass early and late for elk feeding out of the timber onto benches
- →Be prepared to hunt steep, broken cliff terrain
- →Recognize the best bull hunting is on the high plateau to the north
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn use the open desert flats and terraces of the Green River valley. Densities are modest, but the wide, treeless country makes for classic spot-and-stalk when animals are present.
- →Glass the open desert flats and river terraces from any rise
- →Use the low folds and washes to close distance on open ground
- →Key on water and green feed in the dry valley bottom
Cougar
limited opportunityMountain lions follow the deer through the Book Cliffs breaks and canyon country. Densities are low and hunting is opportunistic, typically tied to tracking snow in the higher broken terrain.
- →Cut tracks in the Book Cliffs breaks and canyon bottoms after snow
- →Focus on areas holding wintering deer
- →Work the rough cliff terrain where cats travel
Black Bear
transient opportunityBlack bears range the higher, wetter Tavaputs Plateau to the north and occasionally drop into the canyon breaks; the low desert valley itself is marginal bear country.
- →Focus on the forested plateau front and canyon heads rather than the valley floor
- →Look for bears in mast and berry pockets in the higher breaks
Pro tips
- →Understand the geography: the trophy deer and elk are up on the Tavaputs Plateau — this valley subunit is the low, extended-archery/opportunity fringe
- →Treat it as a glassing hunt of the benches and Book Cliffs breaks, not the open flats
- →Scout and mark water; game and access both revolve around it in this desert
- →Download BLM/SITLA ownership and route layers — verify the private bottoms near Green River town
- →Combine a hunt with the Nine Mile Canyon rock-art corridor if you're scouting the greater unit
Watch out for
- !Private irrigated bottoms near the town of Green River — verify boundaries before crossing
- !No water or services in the backcountry; extreme early-season heat and exposure
- !Clay desert and canyon roads turn impassable when wet
- !Steep, roadless Book Cliffs / Desolation Canyon terrain — plan retrieval carefully
- !Low resident big-game density in the valley itself
Logistics
The town of Green River (on I-70) has fuel, groceries, motels and services and is the natural base; Wellington and Price to the northwest offer fuller supplies and the western approach up Nine Mile Canyon. There are no services in the backcountry — haul water, carry recovery gear and a satellite communicator, and expect long, rough dirt approaches. Cell coverage fades quickly off the highways.
Nearest towns: Green River, Wellington, Price, East Carbon
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Nine Mile, Anthro Elk unit boundary recommendation · UDWR Elk Herd Unit 11 Nine Mile Management Plan · GOHUNT Utah Nine Mile limited-entry deer unit profile · BLM Desolation / Gray Canyons of the Green River · Nine Mile Canyon geography and land ownership (americansouthwest.net)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 6 in Utah?
- Unit 6 (Nine Mile, Green River Valley) covers about 62 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,000 to 6,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 6?
- Approximately 90% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 6?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, Cougar, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 6 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.