GMU 485 Green River
Tacoma's locked-down Green River municipal watershed — a draw-permit-only trophy elk and quality-buck reserve behind a closed gate.
WDFW Region 4 — North Puget Sound (King County, District 12) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
135
sq mi
Public land
—
approx.
Elevation
1,200–5,000
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 485 "Green River" is not a general-hunting unit — it follows the posted boundary of the controlled-access portion of the Tacoma Water Green River Watershed (the upper Green River above Howard Hanson Dam) in southeast King County. Tacoma Water closes the watershed to public entry to protect the drinking-water supply, and WDFW manages the entire unit's big game by special permit only: aside from drawn permit holders, all lands within GMU 485 are a year-round CLOSED AREA to big-game hunting. Because access is limited and tightly controlled, the few hunters who draw find low pressure and high-quality animals — the unit produces quality any-bull elk and quality any-buck blacktail tags, and permit holders may also take a black bear and/or cougar. This is a lottery-access unit: without a drawn permit there is no legal way to hunt here.
Terrain
The upper Green River drainage on the west slope of the Cascades, rising from the reservoir/river bottoms behind Howard Hanson Dam up into steep second-growth timbered ridges toward the crest and the GMU 466 boundary. Classic west-Cascade managed-timber terrain: dam-controlled valley floor, walled tributary drainages, and ridge systems.
Cover: Managed second-growth Douglas fir/western hemlock forest with clearcut and early-seral openings that produce elk and deer forage, grading to higher-elevation silver fir and huckleberry near the crest. Riparian forest lines the Green River and its feeder creeks.
Landmarks: Green River (upper drainage) / Tacoma Water Green River Watershed · Howard Hanson Dam / Eagle Gorge Reservoir · Posted Tacoma Water controlled-access boundary (unit perimeter) · West-Cascade crest ridgelines shared with GMU 466 (Stampede)
Access
Access is by DRAWN PERMIT ONLY. The entire unit lies within Tacoma Water's controlled-access Green River Watershed, which is closed to public entry to protect the water supply; WDFW designates all of GMU 485 a year-round closed area to big-game hunting except for hunters holding the appropriate GMU 485 deer or elk special permit (who may also take a bear and/or cougar with the proper license/tag). Entry logistics, gate access, and any check-in procedures are administered through the permit — there is no walk-in or general-season opportunity. Do not enter the posted watershed without a valid permit.
Managers: City of Tacoma (Tacoma Water) — Green River Municipal Watershed, Adjacent USFS Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie NF and private industrial timber (outside the controlled-access boundary)
Access points: Permit-controlled Tacoma Water watershed gate/entry (drawn permit holders only) · No public/general access — surrounding USFS and timber roads dead-end at the posted closed boundary
Species notes
Roosevelt Elk
common trophyElk are managed with special permit hunts only; for the 2024 season WDFW offered eight (8) any-bull and two (2) youth any-bull permits through the draw. The near-total lack of hunting pressure inside the closed watershed lets bulls reach older age classes, making a drawn GMU 485 any-bull tag one of the higher-quality elk opportunities in the region. These are North Rainier herd elk on managed west-Cascade timberland.
- →If you draw, scout the clearcut forage openings and river-bottom meadows where undisturbed elk feed with little pressure
- →Work the timbered ridge saddles and draws between feeding openings; mature bulls hold in heavy cover by day
- →Glass forage cuts at first and last light and be patient — low pressure means animals keep predictable patterns
- →Coordinate access/gate logistics through the permit well ahead of your hunt window
Blacktail Deer
common qualityBlacktail deer are also permit-only here; WDFW's 2024 draw offered any-buck tags across Quality, Youth, and Hunters-with-Disabilities categories (five Quality, three Youth, two Disability). With essentially no general pressure, the closed watershed grows quality bucks in the second-growth and clearcut-edge habitat that WDFW notes favors deer.
- →Hunt early-seral clearcut edges adjacent to older timber, and riparian corridors that combine forage and cover
- →Undisturbed bucks pattern reliably — glass the same forage openings morning and evening
- →Still-hunt timbered benches and cut edges slowly; low pressure lets you take your time
- →Focus scouting on the transition zones between young regrowth and mature stands
Black Bear
common opportunityGMU 485 is in Black Bear Management Unit 4. Only permit holders may hunt here, and they may take a black bear in addition to their deer/elk — the tiny hunter pool posted a 100% bear-contact success rate (4 bears from 4 hunters) in 2023. Berries drive bear movement in the managed-timber openings.
- →As a permit holder, carry a bear tag — the undisturbed watershed holds bears in the clearcut berry fields
- →Glass berry-producing cuts and riparian bottoms in cool morning and evening hours
- →Bears are low early season, moving higher as fall progresses — adjust elevation accordingly
- →Locate fresh sign in berry patches, then return to watch those slopes
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the abundant, lightly hunted deer and elk. Permit holders may take a cougar with the appropriate tag. Washington's cougar season runs Sept. 1–March 31 and closes by Population Management Unit once the mortality cap is met; hound use is prohibited, so any harvest is incidental to the deer/elk hunt.
- →Carry a cougar tag if you draw — take one incidentally while hunting the prey-rich drainages
- →Fresh snow greatly improves the odds of cutting a track
- →Hunt where deer and elk concentrate; cats stay close to prey
- →Check the PMU cap status before your hunt window
Pro tips
- →There is NO general-season hunting in GMU 485 — it is closed year-round except to drawn deer/elk special-permit holders. Apply in the draw; you cannot hunt here on a general tag.
- →A drawn permit is a rare, low-pressure opportunity: with the watershed closed to the public, bulls reach older age classes and this is one of the region's higher-quality elk/blacktail hunts.
- →Permit holders may also take a black bear and/or cougar with the proper license/tag — carry those tags to make the most of the access.
- →Sort out gate access and entry logistics with Tacoma Water / WDFW well before your hunt window; this is a controlled-entry watershed, not a drive-up unit.
- →TAHD (elk hoof disease) has been confirmed in District 12 from elk sampled in GMUs 454 and 485 — report and avoid limping/deformed-hoof animals.
Watch out for
- !Entire unit is a year-round CLOSED AREA to big-game hunting except for drawn GMU 485 permit holders — entering the posted Tacoma Water watershed without a permit is trespass into a closed municipal watershed.
- !No public access, camping, or facilities inside the watershed; all entry is permit-controlled.
- !Treponeme-Associated Hoof Disease (TAHD) has been confirmed in elk sampled from GMU 485 — inspect and report affected elk.
- !Permit numbers are very small (single digits for elk), so drawing is the limiting factor, not the hunting.
- !Do not confuse the closed Green River (Tacoma) watershed with adjacent open USFS/timber ground — know exactly where the posted boundary is.
Logistics
The staging towns are Enumclaw, Black Diamond, and Maple Valley on the west/lowland side, with Auburn and the greater Seattle-Tacoma metro nearby for full services. There is no public camping or facilities inside the closed watershed — permit holders arrange entry and logistics through the Tacoma Water/WDFW permit process, and should confirm gate access, timing, and any check-in requirements before their hunt. Everything outside the posted boundary is normal USFS/timber ground but is a different management context; the hunt itself happens only inside the controlled-access watershed with a valid permit.
Nearest towns: Enumclaw, WA, Black Diamond, WA, Maple Valley, WA, Auburn, WA
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW — Game Management Units (GMUs) · WDFW — 2024 District 12 Hunting Prospects (King County) · eRegulations — Washington Game Management Units / Hunting Access & Closures (GMU 485)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 485 in Washington?
- GMU 485 (Green River) covers about 135 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,200 to 5,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 485?
- Roosevelt Elk, Blacktail Deer, 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 485 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.