Unit 868 Box Elder, Sawtooth
The Raft River Mountains on the Idaho line — Utah's only major east-west range, a compact aspen-and-conifer high country where general-season elk and deer shuttle across the border
Northwest Utah — Raft River Mountains · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
375
sq mi
Public land
45%
approx.
Elevation
5,000–9,900
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Sawtooth portion of the Box Elder unit is built around the Raft River Mountains, an unusual east–west range paralleling the Utah–Idaho border and topping out near 9,900 feet at Bull/Dunn Benchmark. Part of the Sawtooth National Forest crowns the range and provides the core public access, but the unit is a fragmented ownership pattern and the elk are highly migratory, routinely bouncing across the state line. Elk are managed as a general-season any-bull opportunity hunt with the herd currently below objective, while deer ride the general Box Elder tag and summer on the range's high aspen basins. This is compact, walkable high country by northwest-Utah standards, but success hinges on land ownership and cross-border timing.
Terrain
A single dominant east-west range — the Raft River Mountains — with moderately steep south and east slopes and gentler north and west faces, cresting near 9,900 ft at Dunn/Bull Benchmark above the Clear Creek drainage, dropping to sage valleys and the Raft River basin below 5,500 ft.
Cover: Sagebrush and grass on the lower benches, extensive pinyon-juniper on the mid slopes, and a genuine high-country cap of aspen, Douglas-fir and subalpine conifer with mountain meadows on the crest and in the upper Johnson Creek, Clear Creek and Lynn Valley drainages.
Landmarks: Raft River Mountains · Bull Mountain / Dunn Benchmark (~9,925 ft) · Clear Creek drainage · Johnson Creek · Lynn Valley · Sawtooth National Forest (Raft River division) · Utah–Idaho state line
Access
The Raft River division of the Sawtooth National Forest covers the high crest and provides the best public foothold, backed by BLM and SITLA (open to hunting) sections lower down. But under half the unit is public and ownership is fragmented — private ranches hold much of the valley and foothill ground and some access corridors. Interior access is via Forest Service and BLM dirt roads off the Park Valley / Yost / Standrod corridor; carry a land-ownership GIS layer and expect to sort out where public routes cross private.
Managers: USFS Sawtooth NF, BLM, SITLA, private
Access points: Park Valley to Yost road corridor · Clear Creek drainage road · Johnson Creek access · Sawtooth NF forest roads on the Raft River crest · Standrod / Idaho-side approaches
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityThe Sawtooth is a general-season any-bull elk unit. The herd is currently below population objective and habitat appears to be limiting its growth, and the elk are highly migratory — commonly crossing into Idaho and back — which makes them tough to locate consistently amid outside hunting pressure.
- →Hunt the high aspen basins and conifer heads of the Raft River crest at daylight before elk shift to timber or slip across the line
- →Scout preseason to learn the current year's herd distribution — cross-border movement changes it constantly
- →Glass the aspen-sage transition and meadow edges in the Clear Creek and Johnson Creek drainages
- →During the rut, locate bugling bulls in the upper conifer pockets and plan a stalk that keeps you on the Utah public side
Mule Deer
common opportunityManaged on the general Box Elder tag for opportunity. Deer summer in the upper Raft River Mountains — the uppermost elevations, Johnson Creek and the crest are named summer concentration areas — then drop to sage benches with weather. Mature bucks are available for hunters who work the high aspen country away from roads.
- →Glass the high aspen basins and meadow edges of the Raft River crest at first and last light
- →Focus on the named summer concentration areas — upper elevations and Johnson Creek — early in the season
- →Get boots into the timber pockets away from the ATV routes for the older bucks
- →Watch the down-migration onto south-facing sage as snow builds on the crest
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn use the sagebrush valleys flanking the range in low densities. Opportunity available on limited tags in the broader Box Elder area, secondary to the deer and elk hunts.
- →Glass the open valley flats below the range from a vantage, then stalk using terrain folds
- →Key on water and green feed in dry years
- →Be patient closing distance across the open sage
Pro tips
- →The Sawtooth NF crest is your public anchor — build your plan around the Forest boundary and the high aspen basins
- →For migratory elk, scout right up to the opener and stay flexible; the herd may be in Idaho one week and Utah the next
- →Sort out the fragmented ownership with a GIS layer before hunting the foothills — private is interwoven with public
- →Hunt the high country hard early, then follow deer down as the first snows push them onto the sage
- →Self-rescue capable: no services, no cell, long roads
Watch out for
- !Under half public and fragmented ownership — trespass risk in the foothills and valleys
- !Elk routinely cross into Idaho, thinning the herd mid-hunt
- !Herd is below objective with limiting habitat — temper expectations on numbers
- !Remote with no services and minimal cell coverage
- !Crest roads and dirt approaches turn impassable when wet or snowed-in
Logistics
Remote northwest Utah — plan to be self-contained. Park Valley and Grouse Creek are the closest specks on the map with essentially no services; fuel, groceries and lodging are a long drive to Snowville, Tremonton, or over the line into Malta, Idaho. Carry extra fuel, water and recovery gear, expect little to no cell coverage, and camp dispersed on the Sawtooth NF or BLM. The range is compact enough to day-hunt from a well-placed camp.
Nearest towns: Park Valley, Snowville, Grouse Creek, Malta (ID), 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, Sawtooth Unit Profile · Sawtooth National Forest — USDA Forest Service
FAQ
- How big is Unit 868 in Utah?
- Unit 868 (Box Elder, Sawtooth) covers about 375 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,000 to 9,900 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 868?
- Approximately 45% 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 868?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 868 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.