Unit 872 Southwest Desert, South
The southern half of the Southwest Desert — remote basin-and-range pronghorn and desert bighorn country along the Nevada line
West Desert Utah — Wah Wah, Indian Peak & Needle Ranges · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
2,674
sq mi
Public land
90%
approx.
Elevation
4,900–9,790
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
This is the southern portion of Utah's enormous Southwest Desert management unit, a lonely stretch of Great Basin high desert running west and southwest of Milford to the Nevada border. Long, narrow ranges — the Wah Wah Mountains, Indian Peak Range, Needle Range (Mountain Home Range) and the San Francisco Mountains — rise from wide sagebrush valleys and Pine Valley basin. Like its northern counterpart, big-game density is low across the vast, almost entirely public acreage, but the unit is lightly pressured and best known for pronghorn on the flats, desert bighorn in the cliff ranges, and a scattering of mature mule deer, with cougar throughout.
Terrain
Great Basin basin-and-range: broad sagebrush and shadscale valleys (Pine Valley, Wah Wah Valley) separated by abrupt, rocky desert mountain ranges. High points approach 9,700-9,790 feet in the Indian Peak and Wah Wah ranges, dropping steeply to valley floors near 4,900-5,500 feet.
Cover: Great Basin shrub-steppe — sagebrush, shadscale, greasewood and bunchgrass across the valleys, grading into pinyon-juniper on the range flanks and mountain mahogany, scattered conifer and rock on the higher peaks. Sparse, scattered water sources.
Landmarks: Wah Wah Mountains · Indian Peak Range · Needle Range / Mountain Home Range · San Francisco Mountains (Frisco) · Pine Valley · Wah Wah Valley · Indian Peak State Game Management Area
Access
Overwhelmingly public BLM desert with scattered SITLA state trust parcels (generally open to hunting) and the Indian Peak State Game Management Area; private ground is limited, concentrated around Milford, Minersville and the valley ranches on the eastern edge. Access is by graded and primitive BLM roads off SR-21 and SR-18 west of Milford and Beaver. Interior travel is rough, slow and remote — high-clearance and full self-sufficiency are required.
Managers: BLM, SITLA, private
Access points: SR-21 west of Milford (toward Garrison) · Milford / Frisco (San Francisco Mtns) · Wah Wah Valley / Wah Wah Pass roads · Indian Peak / Pine Valley BLM roads · Needle Range access from the Nevada line · Minersville / SR-130 from the east
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityThe standout draw of the Southwest Desert. The wide sagebrush valleys — Pine Valley, Wah Wah Valley and the flats between ranges — hold good pronghorn and produce quality bucks under light hunting pressure, making this one of Utah's better antelope landscapes for a drawn tag.
- →Glass the open sagebrush and shadscale valleys from high points at first and last light
- →Spot a mature buck at distance, then use washes, rises and terrain folds to stalk across the open flats
- →Sit water and travel routes in hot early-season conditions
- →Drive to glass big basins, then hunt on foot — bucks are spread thin across enormous country
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyThe rugged, cliff-broken desert ranges provide classic desert bighorn habitat, and the region carries established sheep with ongoing UDWR management. Managed as a once-in-a-lifetime species in Utah with very limited permits.
- →Glass the cliff bands, rimrock and rockslides of the Wah Wah, Indian Peak and Needle ranges
- →Spend days behind a spotting scope locating and judging rams in escape terrain
- →Work the feeding edges below the crags early and late in the day
- →Prepare for waterless, extremely rugged country far from any help
Mule Deer
limited qualityDeer numbers are low for a Utah general unit, but the size, isolation and light pressure of this desert let some bucks reach maturity. Deer key on the ranges and their pinyon-juniper flanks rather than the open valleys.
- →Hunt the pinyon-juniper flanks, mahogany pockets and higher basins of the Wah Wah and Indian Peak ranges
- →Glass dawn and dusk near the scarce water and greener draws
- →Get far from roads and be ready to cover big country for one mature buck
- →Watch cliff-and-brush transitions where desert bucks bed
Cougar
common opportunityCougars trail the deer and bighorn through the desert ranges' rock and pinyon-juniper. Populations are managed across the west desert.
- →Cut for tracks on range-flank roads after a snowfall
- →Focus on deer and bighorn concentration areas in the Wah Wah and Indian Peak ranges
Pro tips
- →Play the optics game — glass the big valleys from high vantage points rather than grinding out miles blind
- →Inventory every reliable water source before the hunt; game movement and your logistics both hinge on it
- →Overpack fuel, water and recovery gear — this is some of the most remote country in Utah
- →Steer clear of clay/playa roads when rain is possible; they become impassable when wet
- →Push far from maintained roads for undisturbed pronghorn and the occasional mature buck
Watch out for
- !Extreme remoteness near the Nevada line — long distances, sparse traffic, no cell service
- !Scarce water for hunters and game
- !Clay and playa roads impassable when wet
- !Private and posted ground around Milford, Minersville and the eastern valley ranches
- !Low deer density — hunt for quality, not numbers
Logistics
Milford is the primary staging town — fuel, groceries and lodging — with Beaver and Minersville to the east and Enterprise to the south adding options; Garrison sits at the far west end near the Nevada line. West of Milford you are deep in empty country: carry extra fuel, ample water, full recovery and tire gear, and offline maps. Distances between ranges are large and much of the unit is far from pavement. Cell coverage vanishes quickly off the state highways.
Nearest towns: Milford, Beaver, Minersville, Enterprise, Garrison
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 #20 — Southwest Desert · GOHUNT — Utah Southwest Desert Unit Profile · Avenza — Southwest Desert (S) Utah Hunting Unit Map with Land Ownership (HuntData)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 872 in Utah?
- Unit 872 (Southwest Desert, South) covers about 2,674 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,900 to 9,790 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 872?
- 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 872?
- Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 872 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.