How big is Unit 130 in Wyoming?

Unit 130 (Bolten Rim (Area 130)) covers about 269 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,500 to 8,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.

How much public land is in Unit 130?

Approximately 47% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, private ranch, WY state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.

What species does the catalog list for Unit 130?

Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

Unit 130 Bolten Rim (Area 130)

Bolten Rim high-desert sage west of Rawlins, checkerboard pronghorn country

Great Divide Basin · Last reviewed 2026-07-12

Mule deer buck trotting across open prairie at dusk

Area

269

sq mi

Public land

47%

approx.

Elevation

6,500–8,100

feet

Motorized

extensive

access

Overview

Area 130 is high plains desert on the Bolten Rim country of south-central Wyoming, open sage and broken rim terrain west of Rawlins in Carbon County, a county that has produced more Boone and Crockett pronghorn than any other in the nation. It sits at the low, dry northern edge of the Sierra Madre elk herd unit and serves mainly as an elk wintering ground, holding few elk until snow drives them in late. Pronghorn and mule deer are the everyday quarry across the basin. Only about 47% public, so land status is the central challenge.

Terrain

Rolling high-desert sage flats and broken rims cut by creek drainages, with scattered timber patches on north-facing slopes and in the draws.

Cover: Sagebrush, greasewood and desert grasses across the flats; scattered aspen, juniper and conifer pockets on north slopes and along drainages.

Landmarks: Bolten Rim · Atlantic Rim · Muddy Creek · Sage Creek · Great Divide Basin edge

Access

This is classic southern Wyoming land-grant checkerboard: alternating public/private sections make corner-crossing the defining access issue, and roughly half the unit is private ranch ground. Many BLM parcels are landlocked by private sections. Check WGFD walk-in/Hunter Management areas in Carbon County for legal access, secure ranch permission where needed, and map section lines carefully before hunting.

Managers: BLM, private ranch, WY state trust

Access points: BLM two-track road network · WY 789 corridor toward Baggs · County roads west of Rawlins · Carbon County walk-in/HMA parcels (verify annually)

Species notes

Pronghorn

common quality

The bread-and-butter quarry of this open sage basin. Carbon County is legendary pronghorn country, and the flats and rims here hold good numbers of antelope with genuine trophy potential.

→Glass the open flats and rims from high vantage points at first light
→Use rim breaks and drainages to close for a stalk
→Watch waterholes and two-track edges
→Confirm you are on public section before every setup in the checkerboard

Mule Deer

common opportunity

Hold in the broken rim country, sage draws and the scattered timber and brush pockets on north slopes and along the creeks.

→Glass rim edges and drainage heads morning and evening
→Still-hunt the north-slope timber and aspen pockets
→Look to creek-bottom brush and cover for bucks

Rocky Mountain Elk

transient opportunity

Part of the Sierra Madre herd, but this low desert country is primarily a wintering area and typically holds very few elk until late-season snow pushes them down. A glassing-intensive, cover-a-lot-of-ground proposition.

→Time hunts to snow that concentrates wintering elk
→Glass north-facing timber patches and drainages
→Cover big country, elk are scattered and few
→Nail down land access before committing to an area

Pro tips

→Treat land status as the number-one problem, map the checkerboard before you hunt
→Time any elk effort to late-season snow, don't expect elk early
→Glass hard from the rims for pronghorn and deer
→Check Carbon County walk-in and Hunter Management areas for legal access to landlocked public
→Carry extra water, fuel and tires for remote desert two-tracks

Watch out for

!Southern Wyoming land-grant checkerboard and corner-crossing, roughly half the unit is private
!Landlocked BLM parcels surrounded by private ranch sections
!Gumbo roads impassable when wet
!Rattlesnakes in warm early-season weather
!Very few elk present outside of late-season snow

Logistics

Rawlins is the main hub for fuel, lodging and supplies, with Baggs and Dixon closer to the southern end. Expect long two-track drives and remote camps; carry water, recovery gear and spare tires for the desert roads. Cell coverage is thin off the highways.

Nearest towns: Rawlins, Baggs, Dixon

Nearby units

Unit 15 · Spring Creek (Area 15) Unit 108 · South Rawlins (Area 108) Unit 111 · Seminoe (Area 111) Unit 125 · Elk Mountain (Area 125)

Seasons & regulations

This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:

Research sources: GOHUNT Wyoming Elk Unit 130 - Bolten Rim · WGFD Antelope Hunting · Carbon County, Wyoming Hunting

FAQ

How big is Unit 130 in Wyoming?: Unit 130 (Bolten Rim (Area 130)) covers about 269 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,500 to 8,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
How much public land is in Unit 130?: Approximately 47% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, private ranch, WY state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
What species does the catalog list for Unit 130?: Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

Put Unit 130 on your map.

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

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