Unit 79 East Canyon, Morgan-Summit
A private-land-dominated Wasatch Back deer and elk unit boxed in by three interstates around East Canyon Reservoir
Northern Utah — Wasatch Back / Morgan-Summit · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
378
sq mi
Public land
20%
approx.
Elevation
4,800–9,700
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The East Canyon (Morgan-Summit) unit sits on the east face of the Wasatch Range between Ogden, Morgan and Coalville, wrapped by I-15, I-84 and I-80. It carries good numbers of mule deer that summer high on the Wasatch crest and winter down in the Weber and East Canyon drainages, plus a managed elk herd on the Wasatch Mountains limited-entry side. The catch is ownership: roughly three-quarters of the unit — and nearly all of the winter range — is private ranch and rapidly developing valley land, so this is a unit where securing access matters far more than covering ground.
Terrain
The high western boundary rides the Wasatch Range crest above 9,500 feet, dropping east through steep canyons to East Canyon Reservoir near the center and bottoming out around 4,800 feet where the Weber River exits in the northwest. Weber and East canyons are the two major drainages, both threaded with roads and housing.
Cover: Wasatch mixed-mountain habitat — aspen, maple, oakbrush and mountain shrub on the mid-slopes, conifer (fir and spruce) on the high ridges, and sagebrush-grass with agricultural fields filling the valley bottoms and winter range.
Landmarks: East Canyon Reservoir · Wasatch Range crest / Thurston Peak area · Weber River / Weber Canyon · East Canyon State Park · Henefer-Echo WMA · Round Valley WMA
Access
This is a majority-private unit — about 75-86% of the range is private, including nearly all the winter range in the valleys and lower canyons. Public opportunity concentrates in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest along the high western crest (roughly a fifth of the summer range) and on a few state WMAs (Henefer-Echo, Round Valley) plus East Canyon State Park. The valley bottoms are heavily developed for agriculture and housing, and access to summer range on the crest often requires crossing or hunting adjacent to private ground. Knock on doors early or focus on the National Forest and WMA blocks.
Managers: private, USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (WMAs), SITLA, Utah State Parks
Access points: East Canyon State Park / SR-65 corridor · Henefer-Echo WMA (east of Henefer) · Round Valley WMA (north of I-84) · Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF crest access from the west · I-84 Weber Canyon exits
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityThe unit's headliner. Deer summer high on the Wasatch crest and funnel down to the East Canyon and Weber drainages and onto the Davis County face to winter. The herd is productive and can grow good bucks, but winter-range quality is the limiting factor and access is the real hurdle given how much of the ground is private.
- →Hunt the National Forest along the high western crest during the early season while bucks are still on summer range
- →Glass the aspen-and-oakbrush transition benches at first and last light
- →Line up private-land permission or lean on the WMAs before the season — winter range is where deer concentrate and where access is tightest
- →Watch the migration corridors off the crest as weather pushes deer toward the reservoir and valleys
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityElk use the timbered high country of the Wasatch and the canyon heads, managed as part of the Wasatch Mountains limited-entry complex. Bulls can reach quality age class, but as with the deer, wintering elk drift onto private ground.
- →Work the aspen-conifer edges and dark timber pockets on the upper mountain
- →Locate bulls by bugling the high basins early season, then still-hunt the shaded north slopes
- →Focus effort on the Forest Service blocks where public access to elk security cover actually exists
Moose
limited qualityShiras moose inhabit the willow bottoms and aspen-conifer stringers of the Wasatch drainages here, hunted as a rare once-in-a-lifetime Utah tag.
- →Glass willow-lined creek bottoms and beaver-pond meadows morning and evening
- →Check aspen pockets and riparian stringers in the higher canyons
Cougar
common opportunityA healthy deer base supports resident mountain lions throughout the canyon and crest country.
- →Hunt fresh snow in the Weber and East Canyon drainages behind hounds
- →Cut for tracks on ridgelines and canyon rims linking summer and winter range
Pro tips
- →Treat access as the whole game — nail down private permission or commit to the Forest Service and WMA blocks before you ever scout terrain
- →Early-season hunting on the National Forest crest is your best shot at public-land bucks before they slip onto private winter range
- →The WMAs (Henefer-Echo, Round Valley) are the most reliable public footholds — learn their boundaries cold
- →Watch weather-driven migration off the Wasatch crest toward East Canyon Reservoir
- →Respect the wall of houses and hobby farms in the canyons; a lot of huntable-looking ground is posted
Watch out for
- !Majority-private unit — roughly three-quarters of the range and nearly all winter range is private
- !Rapid valley and canyon-mouth development is fragmenting winter range and migration routes
- !Interstate fencing and high-traffic roads bound and bisect the unit
- !Public access to summer range on the crest often means threading between private parcels
- !Heavy recreation pressure given Wasatch Front proximity
Logistics
The unit is ringed by interstates and less than an hour from the Wasatch Front, so full services in Morgan, Coalville, Ogden and the Salt Lake area are minutes away and cell coverage is generally good. That same proximity means heavy human presence — housing, ranches and recreation traffic throughout the valleys and canyons. Base out of Morgan or the Echo/Coalville area for the eastern half, or the Ogden side for crest access.
Nearest towns: Morgan, Henefer, Coalville, Echo, Ogden, Salt Lake City
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 5 (East Canyon) · UDWR Deer Herd Unit Management Plan — Unit 4 (Morgan-South Rich) · UDWR Elk Herd Unit Management Plan — Unit 17 (Wasatch Mountains)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 79 in Utah?
- Unit 79 (East Canyon, Morgan-Summit) covers about 378 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,800 to 9,700 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 79?
- Approximately 20% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private, USFS Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (WMAs), SITLA, Utah State Parks. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 79?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Moose, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 79 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.