How big is GMU 249 in Washington?

GMU 249 (Alpine) covers about 363 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,800 to 9,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.

What species does the catalog list for GMU 249?

Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, 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 249 Alpine

Roadless Alpine Lakes Wilderness — a pure backpack-and-horseback high-buck unit on the Cascade crest.

WDFW Region 2 (District 7) — East Cascades / Chelan County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12

Mule deer buck trotting across open prairie at dusk

Area

363

sq mi

Public land

99%

approx.

Elevation

1,800–9,000

feet

Motorized

wilderness

access

Overview

GMU 249 (Alpine) is a large, nearly 100% public block of the USFS Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the crest of the Wenatchee and Chiwaukum ranges southwest of Leavenworth. It is a legally designated Wilderness with no roads and no mechanized travel of any kind, so hunting is on foot or horseback only — one of District 7's premier high-buck destinations for mule deer summer range, plus a low-density over-the-counter archery elk opportunity in the southern drainages. Harvest is low in raw numbers (only 7 general-season bucks in 2024) because access is hard, not because bucks are scarce.

Terrain

Rugged glaciated high country — granite peaks, alpine basins, and hanging cirque lakes dropping into steep, timbered creek drainages. Snow arrives here earlier than anywhere else in Chelan County.

Cover: Subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, and whitebark pine at the crest; heather meadows and talus basins up high; dense Douglas-fir/lodgepole and huckleberry brush in the drainages.

Landmarks: Alpine Lakes Wilderness · The Enchantments / Enchantment Permit Area zones · Ingalls Creek · Jack Creek · Icicle Creek headwaters · Chiwaukum Mountains

Access

Effectively all federal wilderness. Per WDFW, there are NO roads inside the wilderness and no mechanized vehicles (including bicycles) are allowed — access is strictly by foot or horse from trailheads on the perimeter. This is one of four Chelan County high-buck wilderness units. Note the USFS now requires day- and overnight-use permits (lottery) for the Enchantment Permit Area zones; without one you may be locked out of previously hunted ground. No fees to hunt, but expect a hard, self-reliant backcountry trip.

Managers: USFS Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (Alpine Lakes Wilderness)

Access points: Icicle Creek Road trailheads (near Leavenworth) · Ingalls Creek Trailhead off Highway 97 · Jack Creek / Chatter Creek trailheads · Chiwaukum Creek Trailhead off Highway 2

Species notes

Mule Deer

common quality

Classic high-buck summer range — mature migratory bucks hold in the alpine basins until snow pushes them out. WDFW calls this an excellent high-buck option that provides virtually unlimited summer range, but only 7 general-season bucks were checked in 2024 because so few hunters make the walk. Early snow means it can produce earlier in the general season than lower units.

→Backpack or pack-string in and glass alpine basins and timberline benches at first and last light
→Hunt early — snow arrives sooner here than the rest of Chelan County and moves bucks off the top fast
→Study topo and aerial imagery hard before the trip; complex terrain hides deer and eats days
→Because snow drives the migration, the biggest bucks may leave the unit before late general seasons

Rocky Mountain Elk

limited opportunity

Elk are sparsely distributed through the southern portion of the unit near the boundary with GMUs 251 and 335 (Teanaway) — Ingalls Creek and Jack Creek are the reliable pockets. Nine elk were harvested in 2024, six in 2023, and eleven in 2022. GMU 249 offers an over-the-counter archery tag for a branch-antlered bull, but densities are low and hunters are often surprised how many other archers are chasing the same elk.

→Concentrate on the southern drainages — Ingalls Creek and Jack Creek toward the Teanaway divide
→Come prepared for company; the OTC branch-bull archery tag draws crowds despite low elk numbers
→Cover country on foot in steep, roadless terrain — no motorized retrieval, so plan the packout

Black Bear

common opportunity

Black bears are part of the Central Cascades East bear unit and are a legitimate secondary target on high-buck trips into the huckleberry basins. Numbers are healthy in the berry country, though the effort-to-access ratio keeps harvest modest.

→Glass avalanche chutes, berry fields, and meadow edges in late summer and early fall
→Pair a bear tag with the high-buck deer hunt to make the wilderness trip pay double

Cougar

common opportunity

Cougars are widespread across every Chelan County GMU and follow the deer herds. Wilderness terrain makes tracking tough, but dedicated hunters take cats where snow allows.

→Cut tracks in fresh snow along drainages and ridgelines
→Hunt dawn and dusk when both deer and cougars are moving

Pro tips

→This is a fitness-and-logistics unit — the reward is solitude and mature high-country bucks, but you earn every one on foot or horseback.
→Check the Enchantment Permit Area / Alpine Lakes zone rules with the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF BEFORE you go; USFS lottery permits can block access to spots you hunted in past years.
→Go early: earlier snowfall here than neighboring units can concentrate bucks, but a big storm can also strand or evacuate you.
→Stack a bear tag on the deer trip — the wilderness huckleberry basins hold black bears worth glassing for.
→Do your e-scouting on topo and aerials; the granite-and-cirque terrain is a maze and blind wandering burns your trip.

Watch out for

!No roads and no motorized/mechanized travel — including bicycles and game carts — anywhere in the wilderness. Plan your packout accordingly.
!Enchantment Permit Area zones require USFS day/overnight permits by lottery; not having one can lock you out of previously accessible ground.
!Early, heavy snow can close the high country or trap an unprepared party — carry winter gear and a satellite messenger.
!CWD carcass-transport rules apply statewide; know the current requirements before hauling a carcass out.
!Raw harvest is low because access is brutal — this is not a drive-and-glass unit.

Logistics

Leavenworth is the natural staging town for fuel, groceries, and lodging, with Cashmere and Wenatchee close by for full resupply. There is no vehicle access inside the unit — plan a backpack or horse trip from perimeter trailheads on Icicle Creek, Ingalls Creek, or Highway 2. Cell coverage is nonexistent in the backcountry; carry a satellite communicator, map, and compass/GPS.

Nearest towns: Leavenworth, Cashmere, Peshastin, Wenatchee

Nearby units

GMU 335 · Teanaway GMU 245 · Chiwawa GMU 336 · Taneum Elk Area 2033 · Peshastin

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 (PDF) · WDFW Game Management Units

FAQ

How big is GMU 249 in Washington?: GMU 249 (Alpine) covers about 363 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,800 to 9,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
How much public land is in GMU 249?: Approximately 99% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (Alpine Lakes Wilderness). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
What species does the catalog list for GMU 249?: Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, 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 249 on your map.

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

Get Baseline Maps What is a GMU?