How big is GMU 244 in Washington?

GMU 244 (Clark) covers about 592 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,100 to 9,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.

What species does the catalog list for GMU 244?

Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

GMU 244 Clark

A nearly all-wilderness high-buck unit — no roads, no vehicles, just Glacier Peak Wilderness and the head of Lake Chelan for the foot-and-horse mule deer hunter.

WDFW Region 2 — North Central / Glacier Peak Wilderness (District 7, Chelan County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12

Mule deer buck trotting across open prairie at dusk

Area

592

sq mi

Public land

99%

approx.

Elevation

1,100–9,500

feet

Motorized

wilderness

access

Overview

GMU 244 "Clark" is one of Washington's true wilderness units — roughly 366,000 acres of almost entirely public land, made up of the Glacier Peak Wilderness and the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, administered by the USFS and NPS with only about 2,000 acres of private ground. There are no roads inside the wilderness and no mechanized vehicles (not even bicycles) allowed, so this is a foot-and-horse hunt through spectacular high-peak country. Clark is a premier high-buck destination: it offers virtually unlimited mule deer summer range, and snows arrive earlier here than in the rest of Chelan County, making it a strong early general-season option for the prepared, fit hunter. Road-based buck harvest numbers are tiny precisely because the effort barrier is so high — the reward is solitude and mature bucks on the north-facing slopes away from the trails.

Terrain

Extreme vertical wilderness terrain that follows drainages and ridgelines through the Cascade and White Mountain ranges, from the head of Lake Chelan (~1,100 ft) to glaciated high peaks near 9,000+ ft (Bonanza Peak, the highest non-volcanic summit in the state at 9,516 ft, anchors this country). Steep, rugged, roadless and remote.

Cover: Dense mixed-conifer and subalpine forest on the mid-slopes giving way to alpine meadows, heather parks, talus and glaciers up high. Avalanche chutes and brushy basins provide summer forage; the low lakehead and drainage bottoms carry heavier timber.

Landmarks: Glacier Peak Wilderness · Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (head of the lake) · Stehekin / Lucerne (up-lake access points) · Bonanza Peak (9,516 ft) · Bearcat Ridge and the south-shore wilderness boundary · Entiat River headwaters

Access

This is a legally designated Wilderness Area: no roads inside, and no mechanized vehicles of any kind (including bicycles) are permitted for any recreation. Access is by foot or horse only, typically staged from an up-lake boat drop (Lady of the Lake to Lucerne/Stehekin) or long trailhead approaches into the Glacier Peak Wilderness and Entiat headwaters. There is essentially no private-access problem here — it is ~99% public — the barrier is physical: distance, elevation and pack logistics. Plan a genuine backcountry expedition with a pack string or a light, fit backpack setup. New for 2025, bear hunters in GMUs 243/244 face specific reporting requirements and a later season opener under the Okanogan Black Bear Management Unit (BBMU 5).

Managers: Glacier Peak Wilderness — Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USFS), Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (NPS), Private inholdings (~2,000 acres, minimal)

Access points: Lake Chelan boat shuttle (Lady of the Lake) to Lucerne / Stehekin · Glacier Peak Wilderness trailheads and pack-in routes · Entiat River headwater trail approaches · Foot and horse travel only — no motorized or mechanized access inside the wilderness

Species notes

Mule Deer

common quality

Mule deer are the reason to draw a bead on Clark. The unit provides virtually unlimited high summer range, and because snows arrive early it is an excellent early general-season and high-buck option for hunters willing to work for it. Recorded buck harvest is very low, but that reflects the tiny share of hunters who penetrate the roadless country — deer favor the north slopes away from the trails, and mature bucks live where few people go.

→Plan a backcountry pack-in or fit backpack hunt; deer are on north-facing slopes off the beaten trails.
→Hit it early — snow comes sooner here and the high-buck window can be prime before others arrive.
→Glass high alpine basins, avalanche chutes and heather parks at dawn and dusk.
→Hunt away from established trails and camps to find undisturbed mature bucks.

Rocky Mountain Elk

limited low

Elk are present but sparse — most elk in this cluster of GMUs are harvested out of neighboring GMU 251, with only a few taken in 244, 245 and 249. Treat elk as an incidental encounter deep in the wilderness rather than a realistic target species.

→Do not build a trip around elk here; densities are too low.
→If pursuing, work remote timbered basins far from trailheads and expect long odds.

Mountain Goat

limited opportunity

The Glacier Peak Wilderness high country is native mountain goat habitat, with goats on the cliffs, talus and alpine meadows near the peaks. Any goat hunt is a tightly limited WDFW special-permit draw tied to specific goat units, not the general deer season — verify current permit availability and unit overlap before counting on it.

→Goat is special-permit only — confirm the draw unit boundaries and current permit status with WDFW.
→Glass cliff bands, talus and alpine basins near the high peaks for billies.
→This is committing, technical high-country terrain — plan the physical logistics accordingly.

Black Bear

common opportunity

Black bears range the timbered mid-elevations and berry basins of the wilderness. As part of the Okanogan BBMU 5, GMU 244 has 2025 bear-tag reporting requirements and a later opener. Access difficulty keeps harvest low, but bears are genuinely present on the regenerating burns and berry slopes.

→Glass avalanche chutes, burns and berry fields on the mid-slopes.
→Combine bear opportunity with a deer pack-in to justify the effort.
→Confirm 2025 BBMU 5 season dates and mandatory reporting for 244 before hunting.

Cougar

common opportunity

Cougars inhabit the unit alongside the deer, though the roadless terrain and early snow make them hard to pursue. Mostly an incidental or expert-tracker opportunity within the harvest guideline.

→Cut tracks in fresh snow along ridgelines and drainage bottoms.
→Realistically an incidental take given the access barrier and early snow.
→Check the unit harvest-guideline status through the season.

Pro tips

→This is a foot-and-horse wilderness hunt — commit to the pack-in or don't bother; casual road hunters take almost nothing here.
→Go early: earlier snow makes Clark a strong opening-stretch and high-buck unit before the country locks up.
→Hunt the north-facing slopes away from trails where mature bucks hold undisturbed.
→Bonanza Peak / Glacier Peak country is genuinely alpine and glaciated — build in mountaineering-grade safety margins.
→Mountain goat here is special-permit only; verify draw-unit overlap and permit status well ahead of the season.

Watch out for

!No roads and no mechanized travel of any kind inside the wilderness — access is foot or horse only, over long distances.
!Early high-country snow can strand hunters or close travel routes fast.
!Up-lake boat logistics (Lady of the Lake to Lucerne/Stehekin) require advance planning and add cost and time.
!No cell service — carry a satellite communicator and backcountry navigation.
!Wildfire (Airplane Lake 2023, Pomas Fire) can force closures on the eastern side of the unit.

Logistics

Staging is from Chelan/Manson at the foot of the lake, then an up-lake boat ride (Lady of the Lake) to Lucerne or Stehekin to reach wilderness trailheads; alternatively, long trail approaches from the Entiat side. This is a full backcountry expedition — pack string or a light fit backpack kit, multiple days, and no resupply once you're in. There is no cell coverage in the wilderness; carry a satellite communicator, map/compass or GPS, and enough gear for early-season snow and cold at elevation.

Nearest towns: Chelan, Manson, Stehekin, Entiat, Lucerne

Nearby units

GMU 450 · Cascade GMU 245 · Chiwawa GMU 246 · Slide Ridge GMU 231 · Gardner

Seasons & regulations

This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:

Research sources: WDFW 2025 District 7 Hunting Prospects (Chelan & Douglas counties) · WDFW Game Management Units · GOHUNT Washington Unit 244 (Clark) profile

FAQ

How big is GMU 244 in Washington?: GMU 244 (Clark) covers about 592 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,100 to 9,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
How much public land is in GMU 244?: Approximately 99% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Glacier Peak Wilderness — Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USFS), Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (NPS), Private inholdings (~2,000 acres, minimal). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
What species does the catalog list for GMU 244?: Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

Put GMU 244 on your map.

Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.

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