Unit 932 La Sal, Castle Valley
A small late-season CWD management subunit stacked between Moab's slickrock and the La Sal foothills.
Southeastern Utah — La Sal Mountains / Moab red-rock · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
101
sq mi
Public land
80%
approx.
Elevation
4,000–6,300
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
La Sal, Castle Valley is a compact subunit carved out of the larger La Sal deer unit just northeast of Moab, running from the Colorado River red-rock country up into the western foothills of the La Sal Mountains. It centers on Castle Valley — a green agricultural pocket ringed by sandstone towers along the SR-128 river corridor — and was designed largely as a chronic-wasting-disease (CWD) management hunt, with late seasons aimed at removing older-age-class bucks. Public access is excellent across most of the unit, though the Castle Valley floor itself holds a scatter of private ranchettes and irrigated ground.
Terrain
Dramatic transition country: the Colorado River corridor and Castle Valley floor sit near 4,000–4,600 ft amid Wingate and Entrada sandstone cliffs, towers and benches, climbing west into pinyon-juniper foothills and the lower flanks of the La Sal Mountains.
Cover: Blackbrush, sand sage and desert scrub on the red-rock benches, grading into dense pinyon-juniper woodland and scattered oakbrush and mountain mahogany on the higher foothill slopes.
Landmarks: Castle Valley · Fisher Towers and the Fisher Valley / Professor Valley area · Porcupine Rim · SR-128 (Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway) · Adobe Mesa / western La Sal foothills
Access
Roughly four-fifths public. BLM manages most of the red-rock benches and canyon country, with the Manti-La Sal National Forest on the higher western foothills and scattered SITLA state trust parcels (open to hunting) mixed in. The main private concentration is the irrigated floor of Castle Valley itself plus ranch inholdings along the river; verify boundaries against the DWR Hunt Planner before hunting the valley bottom. SR-128 up the Colorado River and the Castle Valley / La Sal Loop roads are the primary access.
Managers: BLM, USFS Manti-La Sal NF, SITLA, private
Access points: SR-128 Colorado River corridor from Moab · Castle Valley Road / La Sal Mountain Loop Road · Porcupine Rim and Sand Flats area (west) · Onion Creek / Fisher Valley road
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityThe reason the subunit exists. Managed as a limited-entry CWD tool with late-season hunts intended to harvest older bucks, so tag numbers are tight and hunters have a genuine shot at a mature deer. Deer use the pinyon-juniper foothills and oakbrush pockets, dropping toward the warmer red-rock benches and Castle Valley edges as winter sets in.
- →Glass the pinyon-juniper foothills and oakbrush draws on the western La Sal flanks at first and last light
- →On late hunts, focus on south-facing benches and the transition where forest meets desert scrub where deer winter
- →Let optics do the walking across the broken cliff-and-bench country before committing to a stalk
- →Plan for the mandatory CWD sample submission on harvested deer
Cougar
common opportunityCougars track the deer through the canyon breaks, pinyon-juniper and cliff country typical of the La Sal foothills. A viable pursuit opportunity for houndsmen where public access allows.
- →Cut tracks after fresh snow along foothill roads and canyon rims
- →Concentrate on deer-wintering benches and the sandstone break country
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk inhabit the broader La Sal Mountains, but this low red-rock subunit sits mostly below prime elk range; expect only fringe and transient use on the higher forested western edge.
- →Work the upper Manti-La Sal forest edge where the foothills gain elevation
- →Treat elk as an incidental opportunity here rather than the primary target
Pro tips
- →Treat this as a patience-and-glass hunt — the broken cliff-and-bench terrain rewards sitting behind good optics over grinding miles
- →Mark the Castle Valley private boundaries and SITLA parcels in the Hunt Planner before opening morning
- →Because it is a CWD management hunt, come prepared to submit the required sample and know the nearest drop-off
- →Carry more water than you think you need — the lower benches are genuinely dry
- →Watch weather: wet clay on the La Sal Loop and canyon spurs can strand a 2WD fast
Watch out for
- !Private ranchettes and irrigated ground on the Castle Valley floor — intermingled with public
- !Extreme heat and scarce water on the lower red-rock benches
- !Heavy recreation traffic (mountain bikers, tourists) near Sand Flats / Porcupine Rim
- !Slick clay roads after rain or snow
- !Mandatory CWD sampling requirements
Logistics
Moab is the obvious base, with full services, lodging and fuel roughly 15–25 minutes from the unit via SR-128. Castle Valley has no services. Cell coverage is decent near Moab and along the river corridor but drops off quickly in the canyons and foothills. Summer and early fall bring heavy tourist and mountain-bike traffic to the Sand Flats and Porcupine Rim areas.
Nearest towns: Moab, Castle Valley, Thompson Springs
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Hunt Planner · GOHUNT — Utah La Sal, Castle Valley unit profile · USFS Manti-La Sal National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit 932 in Utah?
- Unit 932 (La Sal, Castle Valley) covers about 101 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,000 to 6,300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 932?
- Approximately 80% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, USFS Manti-La Sal NF, SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 932?
- Mule Deer, Cougar, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 932 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.