GMU 330 West Bar
A tiny, nearly all-public sliver on the Columbia at Crescent Bar: bighorn-herd country with sparse deer and elk.
Region 3 — Columbia River Breaks (Kittitas County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
6
sq mi
Public land
92%
approx.
Elevation
561–1,286
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 330 "West Bar" is one of the smallest units in the state — roughly 6 square miles of arid rangeland on the Columbia River near Crescent Bar in Kittitas County, part of WDFW District 8. It is almost entirely public, consisting of the Colockum Wildlife Area and Colockum Game Range (about 92% public), which makes access excellent for a unit this size. The country is extremely open and brushy, with the only real topographic structure a sharp bluff that drops roughly 800 feet in 300 yards along the southwest edge. Elk and mule deer numbers are both low here except in heavy-snow winters, when deer are pushed all the way down to the river. The unit sits within the ram-only Quilomene bighorn sheep herd range (Sheep Unit 13). Realistically this is a niche, low-density unit best paired with the larger surrounding Colockum ground.
Terrain
A small, low-relief bench of open Columbia River rangeland. The defining feature is a sharp southwestern bluff dropping about 800 feet in 300 yards; otherwise the terrain is gentle, exposed, and brushy right down to the river.
Cover: Arid shrubsteppe — sagebrush and bunchgrass with a few scattered trees along the Columbia River. Little cover, big open sightlines.
Landmarks: Columbia River (eastern edge) · Crescent Bar · West Bar · Southwestern bluff (~800 ft in 300 yds) · Colockum Wildlife Area / Colockum Game Range
Access
About 92% public — nearly the entire unit is the WDFW Colockum Wildlife Area and Colockum Game Range, giving excellent public access for its tiny footprint. Motor-vehicle travel on the wildlife-area ground follows the Green Dot system: only round-green-reflector roads are legally drivable, and road access into this river-bottom sliver is limited. Much of the practical approach to this stretch of the Columbia breaks is by boat to foot trails. A Discover Pass (or a Vehicle Access Pass bundled with an eligible hunting/fishing license) is required on WDFW lands. Carry the Green Dot map (available online, on smartphone, or at the DNR Southeast Region office in Ellensburg and the WDFW Yakima office).
Managers: WDFW (Colockum Wildlife Area / Colockum Game Range), Private (minor)
Access points: Boat access on the Columbia River to foot trails (primary practical approach) · Colockum Wildlife Area Green Dot roads from the west/north · Crescent Bar area off the Columbia
Species notes
Mule Deer
limited opportunityMule deer densities are low in this small open unit for most of the year, but heavy-snow winters push deer all the way down to the Columbia River, temporarily concentrating them here. Reported general-season success comes from very small samples given the unit's size. A situational, snow-dependent opportunity rather than a numbers unit.
- →Time any serious effort to a hard snow event that pushes deer off the surrounding high ground down to the river bench
- →Glass the open sage and the bluff faces early and late — with almost no cover, optics do the work here
- →Approach quietly by boat or foot to avoid bumping the few deer in such open terrain
- →Treat this as an add-on to the larger Colockum/Quilomene ground rather than a standalone destination
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk from the ~4,000-head Colockum herd range across the broader Colockum country, but numbers within this tiny river unit are low and animals move through rather than holding. There was no reportable general-season elk success sample for GMU 330 in the recent District 8 data.
- →Hunt the adjacent Colockum Wildlife Area ground and treat 330 as a fringe of the larger herd range
- →Glass the open breaks at first and last light for elk drifting down toward the river with weather
- →Focus effort where cover and water pull elk off the exposed benches
- →Manage expectations — this sliver is not a reliable resident elk unit
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyGMU 330 lies within the Quilomene bighorn herd range (Sheep Unit 13 covers GMUs 329, 330, and part of 251) — District 8 holds more than 70% of Washington's bighorns. This is a permit-only, ram-only hunt; sheep use the shrubsteppe-and-cliff breaks above the Columbia and can often be glassed from the river.
- →Best approach into the sheep country is by boat on the Columbia to foot trails — road access to the breaks is limited
- →Glass the rocky cliffsides and rimrock from the river or benches; rams rut mid-October into November and move more then
- →Scout the breaks hard well before the opener — this is a rare, trophy-caliber tag
- →Report sick or dead sheep to WDFW and return any collar from a legally harvested marked animal
Pro tips
- →Think of 330 as a small piece of the larger Colockum/Quilomene public block, not a standalone destination — its best value is snow-driven deer and the bighorn breaks
- →Bring a boat: the reliable way onto the West Bar breaks is by water on the Columbia to foot trails
- →Glass everything — with no cover, optics from the bluff and benches are the whole game
- →Watch the forecast; a big snowstorm is what turns this river bench into a deer-holding spot
- →Carry a Discover Pass and the Green Dot map, and know the handful of private edges
Watch out for
- !Very small, very open unit — low resident deer and elk numbers most of the year; don't over-plan around it
- !Road access is limited; without a boat you may be walking a long way into the breaks
- !Green Dot rules apply on the Colockum ground — only green-reflector roads are legal for motor vehicles
- !A Discover Pass (or Vehicle Access Pass with an eligible license) is required on WDFW lands
- !Bighorn is a ram-only permit hunt — don't plan a trip around sheep without the tag
- !Water and shade are essentially absent; carry your own and plan for exposure
Logistics
This is a small, remote river unit with no services inside it — base out of Quincy or Ellensburg for fuel, groceries, and lodging, or Wenatchee to the north. The most practical access to the West Bar stretch of the Columbia is by boat to foot trails; road access into the unit is limited and governed by the Colockum Green Dot system. Bring water, sun protection, and a Discover Pass; there is essentially no shade in this open shrubsteppe. Download the Green Dot and ownership maps before losing cell service, and plan a boat if you intend to reach the breaks reliably.
Nearest towns: Quincy, Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Vantage, George
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: GoHunt Washington Unit 330 West Bar Profile (elevation 561-1,286 ft, ~92% public, Colockum Wildlife Area/Game Range, 800-ft southwest bluff, low deer/elk except heavy snow) · WDFW 2024 District 8 Hunting Prospects — GMU 330 (no reportable elk success sample; bear 0 harvest/12 hunter days; Quilomene bighorn; Green Dot) · WDFW Sheep Unit 13 Quilomene (GMUs 329, 330, part of 251) — ram-only bighorn hunt area
FAQ
- How big is GMU 330 in Washington?
- GMU 330 (West Bar) covers about 6 square miles, ranging from roughly 561 to 1,286 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 330?
- Approximately 92% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: WDFW (Colockum Wildlife Area / Colockum Game Range), Private (minor). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 330?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn Sheep. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 330 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.