Unit 899 Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/East
The vast roaded east end of the Book Cliffs — big, remote limited-entry deer and elk country stretching to Colorado, with desert bighorn, pronghorn, bear, cougar and free-ranging bison
Eastern Utah — Book Cliffs / Bitter Creek (eastern Tavaputs to the Colorado line) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
3,057
sq mi
Public land
90%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–10,285
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
The Bitter Creek/East portion is the enormous roaded eastern block of Utah's Book Cliffs, running from the plateau interior out to the Utah–Colorado state line and bounded on the west by the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, the Green River and I-70 to the south. Managed as a premium limited-entry unit for both mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk (a harvested-bull 3-year age target around 6.5–7.0 years on the Bitter Creek subunit), it grows mature bucks with 180-inch potential and quality bulls across sprawling, lightly pressured terrain. It also holds desert-and-Rocky bighorn on the rimrock, pronghorn on the open benches, black bear and cougar in the canyons, and the free-ranging Book Cliffs bison — a once-in-a-lifetime tag. Sheer size and remoteness are the defining challenge.
Terrain
The banded Book and Roan Cliffs rise off the Green River desert to the Tavaputs Plateau, topping out near Bruin Point (~10,285 ft). Deeply dissected by canyons — Bitter, Willow, Hill and Range creeks — the country breaks between mesa tops, cliff faces and desert flats over an immense area east to Colorado.
Cover: Salt-desert shrub, greasewood and shadscale on the low Green River and desert flats; extensive pinyon-juniper on the mid-benches and cliff faces; aspen, Douglas-fir, spruce and mountain brush on the high plateau tops and north slopes. Springs, seeps and creek bottoms concentrate wildlife in otherwise dry country.
Landmarks: Bruin Point / Roan Cliffs · Bitter Creek · PR Spring · Seep Ridge Road · Winter Ridge · Willow Creek · Green River (west) · Utah–Colorado state line (east)
Access
Predominantly BLM public land with substantial open SITLA state trust mixed in, giving a large accessible-public footprint. This is the roaded portion of the Book Cliffs — interior travel is on primitive BLM and oil-field roads, with the paved Seep Ridge Road as the main artery linking the Uintah Basin to I-70. The western boundary abuts the Uintah & Ouray (Ute) Reservation, which is closed to non-tribal hunters — know exactly where that line is. Despite roads, the sheer scale means a genuine backcountry effort still reaches the best animals.
Managers: BLM (Green River District), SITLA, private, USFS
Access points: Seep Ridge Road (Uintah Basin to I-70) · PR Spring / Bitter Creek roads off US-40 · Hill Creek / Willow Creek road network · I-70 access from the south near Green River · Rangely, CO approaches on the east
Species notes
Mule Deer
common trophyThe signature hunt. Managed as a premium limited-entry buck unit, the Bitter Creek/East country grows mature, heavy bucks with real 180-inch potential and the occasional larger. Densities are lower than the western general units, so it is a quality-over-quantity trophy grind across huge terrain.
- →Glass aspen pockets, mountain-brush stringers and north-facing benches off the high plateau tops at first and last light
- →Focus on water — springs, seeps and creek heads pull deer in the dry country
- →Hunt the transition ridges between pinyon-juniper and the aspen/fir break where mature bucks bed for security
- →Use the road network to cover country, then hunt away from it on foot to find undisturbed bucks
- →Time effort to the rut when big bucks travel and drop their guard
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityA limited-entry bull unit (roughly a 6.5–7.0-year harvested-bull age target on the Bitter Creek subunit) producing quality, mature Rocky Mountain bulls across the plateau timber and canyon country. Remote, lightly pressured terrain rewards hunters who get away from roads.
- →Work aspen/conifer benches and canyon heads on the high Tavaputs country during the rut for bugling bulls
- →Set up on saddles and creek-bottom travel corridors between bedding timber and feed
- →Glass big broken canyon systems at dawn and hunt into the wind toward raking and bugles
- →Push deeper than the road-hunting crowd — mature bulls hold in the far drainages
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyBighorns range throughout the Book Cliffs cliff systems east toward the Colorado line, even crossing the Green River on winter ice. A once-in-a-lifetime tag on the escarpment's rugged rimrock.
- →Focus on the steep cliff bands and rimrock of the Book and Roan Cliffs and Winter Ridge country
- →Spend days behind quality glass locating and aging rams in escape terrain
- →Work canyon rims and broken breaks above the desert where sheep feed off the crags
Pronghorn
limited qualityPronghorn inhabit the open desert flats and sage benches on the lower and eastern portions of the unit, a limited-entry opportunity across big, dry country.
- →Glass the open sage and desert benches and use terrain folds to close distance across treeless flats
- →Watch water sources and green feed where both are scarce
Black Bear
common qualityBlack bears use the aspen, oakbrush and creek-bottom timber of the plateau country, with good berry and mast years concentrating them.
- →Hunt oakbrush, chokecherry and serviceberry benches during fall feed-up
- →Watch creek bottoms and spring-fed green pockets on the plateau edges at first and last light
Cougar
common qualityMountain lions follow the strong deer and elk herds through the canyon and cliff country. The broken, prey-rich terrain supports a healthy cougar population.
- →Cut fresh tracks on canyon-rim roads and creek-bottom mud after a snow
- →Focus on deer-wintering benches and rimrock breaks where cats travel and ambush
Pro tips
- →Treat the size as the main obstacle — if you draw, spend every scouting day learning water, roads and where mature animals hold across the huge east end
- →Know the Ute reservation boundary cold on the west side; it is closed to non-tribal hunters and not obvious on the ground
- →Base your plan on the Seep Ridge Road corridor, then work the spur roads and hunt beyond them on foot
- →Carry more water, fuel and recovery gear than you think you need — help is hours away
- →Time deer effort to the rut for the best mature-buck chance in low-density country
Watch out for
- !Uintah & Ouray (Ute) Reservation on the west edge is closed to non-tribal hunters — trespass risk
- !Clay/gumbo roads become impassable when wet and can strand vehicles
- !Minimal-to-no cell coverage across the interior — carry a satellite communicator
- !Extreme size and remoteness: long recovery distances and warm-weather meat spoilage risk
- !Scarce water in the desert portions — plan resupply
- !Scattered private and oil/gas parcels — verify boundaries
Logistics
Genuinely remote, big country — plan to be self-sufficient. Fuel, groceries and lodging are in Vernal (north, in the Uintah Basin), Green River (south, off I-70) or Price to the west, with Rangely, CO on the east edge; there are essentially no services inside the unit. Carry extra fuel, water, recovery gear and spare tires — the BLM and oil-field roads are long, rough and turn to impassable gumbo when wet. Cell coverage is minimal to nonexistent across the interior; a satellite messenger is strongly advised. The unit's sheer size means long recovery distances and warm-weather meat-care challenges in early seasons.
Nearest towns: Vernal, Green River, Bonanza, Rangely (CO), Price
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Book Cliffs Elk Herd Unit Management Plan (Bitter Creek subunit age class, boundaries, study sites) · GOHUNT — Utah Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek Unit Profiles · Book Cliffs — Wikipedia (geography, Bruin Point, escarpment, bighorn, state line) · UDWR Big Game Application Guidebook 2026
FAQ
- How big is Unit 899 in Utah?
- Unit 899 (Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/East) covers about 3,057 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 10,285 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 899?
- Approximately 90% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM (Green River District), SITLA, private, USFS. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 899?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 899 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.