GMU 524 Margaret
Weyerhaeuser St. Helens Tree Farm and the Green River — general-season blacktail and elk on pay-to-play timber, with a permit-only elk area to the east.
WDFW Region 5 — Southwest Washington (District 10) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
87
sq mi
Public land
20%
approx.
Elevation
1,200–5,858
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
GMU 524 "Margaret" is a ~96-square-mile unit south of the Green River, mostly in Cowlitz and Skamania counties. Land is split between Weyerhaeuser's St. Helens Tree Farm (the bulk of the industrial ~75%) and the USFS-managed Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, with a slice of the Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area and about 20% public land. Unlike neighboring 522, most of 524 is open to general-season deer and elk, but it is a modest-harvest unit and access hinges on buying a Weyerhaeuser permit or knowing the open public ground. The easternmost portion is Elk Area 5066, closed to general-season elk and open only by permit.
Terrain
Remote, steep timbered mountains rising from the Green River valley up toward the Mount Margaret Backcountry, which tops out near 5,858 ft at Mount Margaret. Deeply dissected industrial-forest ridges and drainages dominate, grading into higher subalpine country on the Monument side.
Cover: A working mosaic of Weyerhaeuser and other industrial Douglas-fir/western hemlock stands — recent clearcuts, replanted regen, and older timber — cut by the Green River. Regen units carry salmonberry, huckleberry, and brushy forage for deer and bear; higher Monument ground grades into subalpine forest and meadow around the Mount Margaret Backcountry.
Landmarks: Green River · Mount Margaret Backcountry · Mount Margaret (~5,858 ft) · Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (south/east) · State Route 504 (Spirit Lake Highway) · Weyerhaeuser 1100 Road
Access
Access is limited by land ownership and management restrictions. The majority of huntable ground is Weyerhaeuser St. Helens Tree Farm (GMUs 550, 520, 524, 556), which since 2014 requires a paid recreation permit: roughly $250-400 for motorized access and $75-125 for non-motorized, sold in limited numbers — buy early. Weyerhaeuser only allows free public access where parcels are enrolled in the WDFW Private Lands Access Program, so check that layer/webpage. Timber roads may be closed in August-October during high fire danger. The USFS Monument portion carries its own access restrictions. The east end is Elk Area 5066, closed to general-season elk (permit-only).
Managers: Weyerhaeuser (St. Helens Tree Farm), USFS — Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Gifford Pinchot NF), WDFW (Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area)
Access points: State Route 504 (Spirit Lake Highway) · Weyerhaeuser 1100 Road (mainline) · Green River drainage roads · WDFW Private Lands Access enrolled parcels (free walk-in where posted)
Species notes
Blacktail Deer
common opportunityGMU 524 offers general-season black-tailed deer but is a lower-harvest unit within District 10: WDFW's 2020-2024 modern-firearm averages show about 33 bucks a year at ~16.6% success (0.29 bucks/sq mi), with ~40% of the buck harvest being 3-point-or-better. District-wide blacktail numbers are trending up after mild winters, but 524's steep timber and access limits keep harvest modest. Hunt it for a quality-cover blacktail experience, not high odds.
- →Glass fresh and 3- to 9-year-old clearcuts and regen units at first and last light, then still-hunt the timber edge.
- →Hunt slowly and scan constantly — blacktails hold tight in thick cover and have small home ranges.
- →Time your best effort to the late buck hunt when the rut and cooler, wetter weather improve still-hunting.
- →Get off the open mainlines into pockets away from road hunters; a mature buck lives in the brush but is hard-won.
- →Buy your Weyerhaeuser permit or find WDFW Private Lands Access parcels before the season to unlock the best cover.
Roosevelt Elk
common opportunityGMU 524 has a general bull elk season and is part of the Mount St. Helens elk herd (roughly 1,250 adult females as of spring 2024, below objective). WDFW's 2020-2024 averages show about 18 elk taken per year at ~6.4% success (0.19/sq mi), with ~61% of bulls being 5-point-or-better — a challenging but real opportunity. The east end (Elk Area 5066) is closed to general-season elk and open only by permit. Late-winter storms and hoof disease (TAHD) hold this herd below historic highs.
- →Know the Elk Area 5066 boundary on the east end — it is permit-only and closed to general elk hunting.
- →Scout recent clearcuts and drainages with the Hunt Planner aerials, then hunt cover-forage edges at dawn and dusk.
- →Expect elk in cooler, wetter, shaded pockets during warm early weather; push into timber where bulls hold by day.
- →Persistence pays — District 10 still yields close to 800 bulls a year despite low success rates.
- →Avoid taking obviously hoof-diseased animals and clean mud from gear to limit TAHD spread.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears are common in 524's berry-rich regen timber, and the unit sits in the Mount St. Helens Black Bear Management Unit, which is open in fall with a two-bear statewide bag structure. District 10 hunters took 122 bears in 2024. Bears here are best hunted over ripe berry feed in the industrial cuts.
- →Glass clearcuts and regen units with huckleberry, blackberry, and cascara at dawn and dusk.
- →Hunt the open ground so you can spot a bear before it scents you in the thick coastal-transition cover.
- →Find fresh sign on a berry crop and sit it for long watches rather than covering ground.
- →Submit the required premolar tooth after a successful harvest per WDFW rules.
Cougar
common opportunityCougars range throughout the timbered drainages of 524, following the deer and elk. Most are taken opportunistically by big-game hunters. The season is harvest-cap managed and can close mid-season, so check current hunt-area status.
- →Carry a cougar tag as an add-on while hunting deer and elk and be ready for an opportunistic shot.
- →Hunt where deer and elk concentrate — regen stands and river bottoms — since cougars follow prey.
- →Cut roads and landings for tracks after fresh snow at the higher east end.
- →Watch the cap-managed hunt-area status, which can close once the removal threshold is met.
Pro tips
- →Buy your Weyerhaeuser St. Helens Tree Farm permit early — motorized permits sell in limited numbers and gate most of the unit.
- →Free access exists only on Weyerhaeuser parcels enrolled in the WDFW Private Lands Access Program — check that layer.
- →Learn the Elk Area 5066 boundary on the east end; it's permit-only and closed to general elk hunting.
- →Focus deer and bear effort on 3- to 9-year-old clearcuts and berry-rich regen; glass at first and last light.
- →Expect timber-road closures during August-October fire danger — have a walk-in/bike plan for scouting.
- →Manage elk expectations: general season but low success on a herd below objective and affected by hoof disease.
Watch out for
- !Most of the unit is Weyerhaeuser St. Helens Tree Farm — a paid permit ($250-400 motorized) is required unless the parcel is in WDFW's Private Lands Access Program.
- !The eastern Elk Area 5066 is closed to general-season elk (permit-only) — don't hunt elk there without a permit.
- !Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument portions carry access and camping restrictions.
- !Industrial timber roads may be gated or closed August-October for fire danger.
- !The Mount St. Helens elk herd is below objective and affected by treponeme-associated hoof disease (TAHD); clean gear to limit spread.
- !This is a modest-harvest unit with steep, remote terrain — plan for low success and hard access.
Logistics
Stage from Castle Rock or Toutle on I-5 and run east up the SR 504 (Spirit Lake Highway) corridor; the Weyerhaeuser 1100 Road is the main interior mainline into the Green River side of the tree farm. Most of the unit is gated Weyerhaeuser timberland requiring a St. Helens Tree Farm permit — arrange it before arriving — while the Monument portion has its own access limits. Camping is easiest on open DNR/USFS ground outside Monument restrictions; carry a current ownership map and confirm Private Lands Access boundaries where you plan to walk in.
Nearest towns: Toutle, Castle Rock, Kid Valley, Silver Lake, Randle
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW 2025 District 10 Hunting Prospects — GMU 524 Margaret land summary, deer/elk 5-yr averages, Weyerhaeuser access, Elk Area 5066 · GoHunt — Washington Unit 524 Margaret profile · Weyerhaeuser Recreational Access — permit program
FAQ
- How big is GMU 524 in Washington?
- GMU 524 (Margaret) covers about 87 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,200 to 5,858 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 524?
- Approximately 20% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Weyerhaeuser (St. Helens Tree Farm), USFS — Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Gifford Pinchot NF), WDFW (Mount St. Helens Wildlife Area). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 524?
- Blacktail Deer, Roosevelt 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 524 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.