GMU 356 Bumping
High Cascade headwaters of the Bumping and American — public-land elk country you have to climb for
WDFW Region 3 — South Central (District 8, Yakima County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
284
sq mi
Public land
90%
approx.
Elevation
2,800–7,766
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 356 (Bumping) sits on the east slope of the Cascade crest in the upper Naches drainage, wrapping the Bumping River and Bumping Lake, the American River and the Goose Prairie country northwest of Naches. It is overwhelmingly Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, bordered by the William O. Douglas and Norse Peak Wilderness Areas, which makes it one of District 8's most accessible units on paper but one of its hardest to hunt in practice. This is high summer range for the Yakima elk herd — one of the largest herds in the state at over 10,000 animals — but WDFW notes the unit holds only a few resident deer and elk until heavy snow pushes animals down, so the late seasons after a good dump are the real story. Bumping is also one of District 8's three once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat units.
Terrain
Steep, glacier-carved east-Cascade high country. Valley bottoms along the Bumping and American rivers sit near 3,000-3,400 ft (Bumping Lake ~3,400 ft) and climb hard to alpine ridgelines — Mount Aix tops the unit at 7,766 ft, with Nelson Ridge, Bismarck Peak and the Norse Peak country all above timberline.
Cover: Dense Douglas-fir, grand fir and lodgepole on the mid-slopes grading into subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce and mountain hemlock near the crest, opening to heather parks and huckleberry basins up high. Old burns and regenerating cuts on the lower forest provide browse; alder and willow choke the riparian bottoms.
Landmarks: Bumping Lake · Bumping River · American River · Goose Prairie · Mount Aix (7,766 ft) · Nelson Ridge · William O. Douglas Wilderness · Norse Peak Wilderness · Chinook Pass / SR-410 corridor
Access
Access is genuinely good for a Cascade unit — the great majority is national forest reached by the SR-410 (Chinook Pass) and SR-410/Bumping Lake Road corridors and the FR 1800/1900 forest-road network out of Goose Prairie and the American River. Where the checkerboard touches WDNR and cooperative timber ground, the Yakima/Kittitas 'Green Dot' system applies: only roads marked with a round green reflector are legal for motor vehicles, everything else is closed to wheels. The catch is snow and wilderness — big blocks of the unit fall inside the William O. Douglas and Norse Peak Wilderness (foot/horse only), and the upper forest roads snow shut early, which is exactly why WDFW steers hunters here for the LATE seasons once a storm concentrates animals lower.
Managers: USFS Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (Naches Ranger District), USFS Wilderness (William O. Douglas, Norse Peak), WDNR, Private
Access points: SR-410 Chinook Pass corridor (American River) · Bumping Lake Road / FR 1800 · Goose Prairie · FR 1900 (upper Bumping) · Little Naches / FR 1900 network (north)
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityBumping is high summer/early-fall range for the Yakima elk herd. Early seasons can feel empty because elk are scattered high and deep in the wilderness; WDFW's own guidance is that numbers jump after heavy snow drives animals off the crest, so the late modern and muzzleloader hunts following a storm are best. 2023 general-season success ran about 3.6% archery / 3.4% modern firearm — middling numbers that reward legwork, not road hunting.
- →Hunt high and far from the SR-410 and Bumping Lake roads early — elk hold in the timbered basins and wilderness edges away from pressure
- →Watch the forecast: time the late hunt to the first hard snow that pushes herds down the Bumping and American drainages
- →Work the security cover in dense fir stringers between meadow openings; bugling tapers fast under pressure
- →Glass subalpine parks and old burns at first and last light before animals slip into black timber
Mule Deer
limited opportunityDistrict 8 is managed under mule deer rules but holds a mix of mule deer, mule-blacktail hybrids and blacktail that stratify by elevation. Bumping is thin deer country — 2023 success was among the district's lowest (about 4.6% archery, 1.4% modern firearm). Treat deer as a bonus while elk hunting rather than a primary target.
- →Hunt the transition between mid-elevation timber and subalpine parks where hybrids summer
- →Glass regenerating cuts and burn edges morning and evening
- →As snow builds, follow deer down toward the lower Naches breaks
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear are present throughout the forested slopes; 2023 tags went unfilled here despite over 700 hunter-days, so bears are around but hard-earned. WDFW ran hair-snare density monitoring across GMUs 352/356/360 in 2023, reflecting real interest in this bear population.
- →Glass huckleberry basins and avalanche chutes in late summer and early fall
- →Hunt old-cut and burn edges where bears feed on grasses and forbs
- →Bears climb with the ripening berries — go up in September, follow food
Mountain Goat
limited trophyBumping is one of District 8's three hunted mountain goat units (with Blazed Ridge and Goat Rocks East). It is a once-in-a-lifetime permit hunt — typically a single tag against 4,000+ applicants — with near-100% success. WDFW is deeply concerned about declines and over-harvest of nannies and asks hunters NOT to take nannies.
- →This is permit-only; you must draw
- →Glass the alpine ridges around Mount Aix and Nelson Ridge for billies on cliffy escape terrain
- →Be certain of sex before shooting — do not harvest nannies
Cougar
common opportunityCougars track the deer and elk throughout the unit. Most are taken incidentally by deer and elk hunters carrying a cougar tag; fresh snow makes tracking and calling far more productive.
- →Hunt fresh snow and cut tracks off forest roads
- →A fawn-bleat call after snow can bring cats in without spooking elk
- →Cougars follow prey to lower winter range by mid-November — hunt where deer concentrate
Pro tips
- →This is a legitimate DIY public-land elk unit — the barrier is effort, not access. Get a mile past where trucks stop and pressure drops off a cliff.
- →Play the weather. WDFW says it plainly: resident numbers are modest until snow concentrates animals, so hold your late tag for the first real storm.
- →Use the wilderness to your advantage — foot-and-horse-only country in the William O. Douglas and Norse Peak holds the least-pressured elk in the unit.
- →Learn the Green Dot map before you drive the DNR checkerboard; an unmarked spur is a closed road and a ticket.
- →Glass, don't grind — the open subalpine parks and burns let you cover ground with optics before committing to a stalk.
Watch out for
- !Wilderness boundaries (William O. Douglas, Norse Peak) are foot/horse only — no motor vehicles or bikes; know where the lines are
- !Early-snow closures on upper forest roads can strand vehicles; the same storms that make the hunt can trap you
- !Green Dot rules on the DNR/cooperative checkerboard — only green-reflector roads are legal for wheels
- !Mountain goat is once-in-a-lifetime permit only; do not shoot goats without a tag, and never take nannies
- !Steep, avalanche-prone alpine terrain and fast-changing Cascade weather near Chinook Pass
Logistics
Naches (fuel, groceries, lodging) is the last real town; Cliffdell and Whistlin' Jack on SR-410 offer limited services. Dispersed and developed camping is plentiful on the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, with campgrounds around Bumping Lake, Goose Prairie and the American River. Cell coverage dies fast off SR-410. Carry a Naches Ranger District / Okanogan-Wenatchee NF map and a Green Dot map for the DNR checkerboard.
Nearest towns: Naches, Cliffdell, Goose Prairie, Yakima
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW 2024 District 8 Hunting Prospects (Yakima & Kittitas counties) · WDFW Game Management Units (GMUs) · USFS Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
FAQ
- How big is GMU 356 in Washington?
- GMU 356 (Bumping) covers about 284 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,800 to 7,766 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 356?
- Approximately 90% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (Naches Ranger District), USFS Wilderness (William O. Douglas, Norse Peak), WDNR, Private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 356?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Mountain Goat, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 356 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.