Unit 867 Box Elder, Grouse Creek
Utah's remote northwest corner — isolated island mountains straddling the Nevada and Idaho lines where good bucks and a quality-managed elk herd hide behind big private ranches
Northwest Utah — Grouse Creek / Pilot Range · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
877
sq mi
Public land
47%
approx.
Elevation
5,000–9,600
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Grouse Creek portion of the sprawling Box Elder unit occupies Utah's extreme northwest corner, anchored by the Grouse Creek Mountains and the eastern flank of the Pilot Range along the Nevada border and the Idaho line to the north. This is lonely, dry Great Basin range country — isolated mountain 'islands' rising out of vast sagebrush valleys, far from any town. Deer here are managed on the general Box Elder tag for opportunity but the country still kicks out good bucks, while elk are a quality-managed limited-entry hunt whose herd freely crosses state lines. Public access exists via the Sawtooth National Forest and BLM ground, but big private ranches control much of the low country and, critically, the water.
Terrain
Isolated fault-block mountain ranges — the Grouse Creek Mountains and the eastern Pilot Range — rising steeply from broad sagebrush valleys near 5,000 ft to timbered crests approaching 9,600 ft, with long alluvial fans and dry playas between the ranges.
Cover: Classic Great Basin banding: salt desert shrub, greasewood and sagebrush on the valley floors, dense pinyon-juniper on the mid slopes, and pockets of aspen, mountain mahogany, and conifer along the highest ridges and north-facing draws. Water is the limiting feature — springs and a few creeks concentrate game.
Landmarks: Grouse Creek Mountains · Pilot Range / Pilot Peak (NV border) · Grouse Creek town · Park Valley · Lynn Valley · Sawtooth National Forest (Raft River / Grouse Creek division)
Access
Public land is a patchwork — Sawtooth National Forest holdings on the higher ranges plus scattered BLM and SITLA (open to hunting) sections in the valleys — but roughly half the unit is private, including large working ranches that hold much of the critical low-elevation water and winter range. Roads are long gravel and dirt arteries off SR-30; interior travel favors high-clearance 4WD and ATVs. Verify land-ownership boundaries carefully before hunting the checkerboard, and secure permission where public access threads through private.
Managers: USFS Sawtooth NF, BLM, SITLA, private
Access points: SR-30 (Park Valley / Grouse Creek corridor) · Grouse Creek town road network · Sawtooth NF forest roads on the Grouse Creek Mountains · BLM two-tracks off SR-30 · Pilot Range access from the west
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityManaged under the general-season Box Elder tag for hunter opportunity, but the remote, lightly hunted island ranges still produce respectable mature bucks for those willing to get far from the road. Summer concentrations hold on the highest ground before deer drop to sage benches with weather.
- →Glass the aspen pockets, mahogany stringers and high sage benches of the Grouse Creek Mountains at first and last light
- →Hunt away from the ATV crowds — the farther you get from valley two-tracks, the better the buck age class
- →Key on isolated springs and green draws; water dictates where deer live in this dry country
- →Late in the season watch the transition off the timbered crests onto south-facing sage as snow pushes deer down
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityGrouse Creek is a limited-entry bull-elk unit managed for a mature age class (roughly 5.5–6 years), and the herd has grown and expanded for decades. Elk move freely across the Nevada and Idaho lines, making them hard to pattern, and they lean heavily on private ground and its water.
- →Glass the timbered heads of the ranges and the aspen-sage edges at daylight, then relocate as elk shift toward private
- →Scout hard preseason to learn which drainages the herd is using that year — cross-border movement changes it season to season
- →Work water sources and wallows in the dry early hunts
- →During the rut, locate bugling bulls high in the conifer and mahogany, then plan a stalk that keeps you on public ground
Pronghorn
common opportunityPronghorn range the broad sagebrush valleys between the ranges. Opportunity-managed with limited tags; recent seasons have added a muzzleloader hunt in the greater Box Elder area to spread out pressure.
- →Glass the open valley floors and alluvial fans from a high vantage, then plan a terrain-screened stalk
- →Watch water and green feed in dry years — bucks hold near reliable springs
- →Use the folds and washes of the valleys to close the final distance across open ground
Pro tips
- →Scout water first — in this dry country the springs and stock ponds you can reach on public land dictate where you'll find deer, elk and antelope
- →Nail down land ownership with a GIS layer before you go; the private ranches are large and the checkerboard is easy to trespass by accident
- →For elk, treat cross-border movement as a fact of life — be flexible and ready to relocate as the herd shifts toward Nevada or Idaho
- →Get away from the valley ATV traffic to find older bucks on the general tag
- →Bring everything: this is a haul-in, haul-out unit with no backup services nearby
Watch out for
- !Roughly half the unit is private, including big ranches that control the water — trespass risk is real
- !Extremely remote with minimal services and no cell coverage — self-rescue capability required
- !Water scarcity in a dry year can concentrate both game and hunters
- !Dirt roads turn greasy and impassable when wet; carry recovery gear
- !Fire and drought closures possible on the desert ranges
Logistics
This is one of the most remote corners of Utah — plan to be self-sufficient. The tiny outposts of Grouse Creek and Park Valley offer almost no services; fuel, groceries and lodging mean a long drive to Snowville, Tremonton, or across into Nevada. Carry extra fuel, water, recovery gear and paper maps, and expect no cell coverage across most of the unit. Dispersed camping on the Sawtooth NF and BLM is the norm; arrive early for the good spots.
Nearest towns: Grouse Creek, Park Valley, Snowville, Montello (NV), Tremonton
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Elk Herd Unit Management Plan — Box Elder (#1) · UDWR Deer Herd Unit Management Plan — Box Elder (#1) · GOHUNT — Utah Box Elder, Grouse Creek Unit Profile · Sawtooth National Forest — USDA Forest Service
FAQ
- How big is Unit 867 in Utah?
- Unit 867 (Box Elder, Grouse Creek) covers about 877 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,000 to 9,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 867?
- Approximately 47% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Sawtooth NF, BLM, SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 867?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 867 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.