Unit 755 Box Elder, West
Utah's far-northwest corner — three lonely desert ranges rising out of the west desert, holding scattered mule deer, open-country pronghorn and a growing elk herd
Northwest Utah — Grouse Creek / Raft River Mountains · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
2,311
sq mi
Public land
80%
approx.
Elevation
4,400–9,930
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Box Elder, West covers the remote northwest corner of Utah, anchored by three basin-and-range mountains — the Raft River, Grouse Creek and Pilot ranges — separated by wide sagebrush valleys running toward Nevada and Idaho. This is classic Great Basin country: high, cool timbered ridges surrounded by miles of shrub-steppe flats. Managed largely as a general mule deer unit with open-country pronghorn on the flats and an expanding elk herd, it rewards hunters willing to drive dirt for hours and glass big, empty basins. Recent muzzleloader pronghorn seasons were added here to spread out hunter crowding.
Terrain
Wide sagebrush valleys near 4,400-5,500 ft broken by three north-south mountain ranges. The Raft River Mountains top out at Bull Mountain (~9,930 ft) — an unusual east-west range — while the Grouse Creek and Pilot ranges hold cool, timbered high country above the desert floor.
Cover: Great Basin shrub-steppe — sagebrush, greasewood and grass on the valley floors and lower benches; bitterbrush, mountain mahogany and aspen pockets on the mid-slopes; mixed conifer, aspen and subalpine fir on the highest ridges of the Raft River and Grouse Creek mountains. Riparian willow-and-aspen stringers follow the creeks.
Landmarks: Raft River Mountains · Bull Mountain (~9,930 ft) · Grouse Creek Mountains · Pilot Range / Pilot Peak · Grouse Creek Valley · Park Valley · Lynn Valley · Johnson Creek drainage · Great Salt Lake Desert edge
Access
The high Raft River Mountains fall under the Sawtooth National Forest's Raft River Division; the Grouse Creek and Pilot ranges and the valley flats are mostly BLM with interspersed SITLA state-trust sections (open to hunting). The catch is private ground — the ranching communities of Grouse Creek and Park Valley hold significant deeded and irrigated land in the valley bottoms, so check ownership before crossing to reach public benches. Access is via long gravel county roads off SR-30 and SR-42; interior travel is on rough BLM and forest two-tracks that turn greasy when wet.
Managers: BLM, USFS Sawtooth NF (Raft River Division), SITLA, private
Access points: SR-30 (Park Valley to Grouse Creek / Nevada line) · SR-42 (Snowville toward Yost/Idaho) · Grouse Creek Road · Sawtooth NF Raft River Division roads (Clear Creek, Johnson Creek) · BLM roads into Lynn and Grouse Creek valleys
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityThe primary hunt. Summer range concentrates on the upper Raft River, Goose Creek and Grouse Creek mountains — the crest of the Grouse Creeks, the head of Lynn Valley, the Johnson Creek drainage and Hardister Creek Plateau — with deer using basin draws and sparse timber. Lightly pressured compared with Utah's Wasatch-front units, it can produce mature bucks in the rough high country.
- →Glass the aspen-and-mahogany pockets and sagebrush basins on the upper Raft River and Grouse Creek mountains at first and last light
- →Hunt the timber-to-sage transition where bucks bed just off the open slopes
- →Get away from valley-bottom roads and private ground onto the public benches and ridgelines
- →Late season, watch migration draws as deer drop off the high country with weather
Pronghorn
common qualityPronghorn favor the wide-open sagebrush flats of Grouse Creek, Park and Lynn valleys — the classic west-desert speedgoat country. A muzzleloader season was added on this unit specifically to relieve crowding, a sign of a healthy, huntable herd.
- →Glass the big open valley floors from high points and cover ground until you locate bands
- →Judge bucks carefully with a spotting scope before committing to a stalk across open flats
- →Use the folds, washes and low ridges of the basins to close distance
- →Water sources and green pockets concentrate animals in dry early-season heat
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk have expanded into the Box Elder ranges and are managed under the unit's elk plan. Numbers are lower than Utah's marquee elk units but the timbered high country of the Raft River and Grouse Creek mountains holds a growing herd.
- →Concentrate on the highest timbered ridges and aspen basins where elk find cover and water
- →Work meadow and spring edges at dawn and dusk
- →Be ready to cover big, empty country — elk are patchy across these isolated ranges
Cougar
common opportunityMountain lions follow the deer herds through the mountain ranges and are hunted on the unit, typically with hounds after snow.
- →Cut for tracks on snowy access roads and canyon bottoms after fresh storms
- →Focus on deer wintering areas and the rugged canyon rims where lions travel
Pro tips
- →Sort out land ownership before you hunt — the Grouse Creek and Park Valley valley bottoms are a patchwork of private ranch ground between public benches
- →Carry enough fuel for long days of driving; services are scarce and far apart
- →Split your effort by species — pronghorn on the valley flats, deer and elk in the timbered high country
- →This unit rewards remoteness: the farther you get from the county roads, the less pressure you'll see
Watch out for
- !Private ranch inholdings in Grouse Creek, Park Valley and Lynn Valley
- !Very limited fuel and services — long drives to resupply
- !Clay roads impassable when wet; sudden weather on the high ridges
- !No cell coverage across most of the unit — carry a satellite communicator
Logistics
This is one of Utah's most isolated corners — plan for full self-sufficiency. The nearest real services are in Snowville or Tremonton, an hour-plus from the mountains; Grouse Creek and Park Valley are tiny ranching hamlets with minimal or no fuel. Top off fuel, carry water, food, recovery gear and paper maps, and expect no cell service across most of the unit. Dispersed camping on BLM and forest ground is the norm.
Nearest towns: Grouse Creek, Park Valley, Snowville, Tremonton, Montello (NV)
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Deer Herd Unit Management Plan — Unit #1 Box Elder (2023) · UDWR Elk Herd Unit Management Plan — Unit #1 Box Elder (2023) · Utah Wildlife Board — deer plan / pronghorn muzzleloader seasons news · GOHUNT — Utah Box Elder Unit Profile
FAQ
- How big is Unit 755 in Utah?
- Unit 755 (Box Elder, West) covers about 2,311 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,400 to 9,930 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 755?
- Approximately 80% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, USFS Sawtooth NF (Raft River Division), SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 755?
- Mule Deer, Pronghorn, 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 755 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.