Unit 8 Boulder Ridge (Area 8)
Private-heavy foothill country southwest of Laramie between the Laramie and Snowy Ranges
Laramie Range / Snowy Range foothills · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
377
sq mi
Public land
19%
approx.
Elevation
7,200–9,700
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 8, Boulder Ridge, sits in Albany County southwest of the city of Laramie, bounded by US 287 on the east down to the Colorado line, the state line on the south, and Wyoming Highways 10 and 230 north through Woods Landing back to Laramie. It is high foothill and ridge country between the Laramie Range and the Snowy Range (Medicine Bow-Routt NF), threaded by the Laramie River, with hogbacks like Sheep Mountain and the Boulder Ridge breaks. The catch is access: only about a fifth of the unit is public, the rest private ranch, so success turns on land-ownership mapping and permission.
Terrain
Rolling high-plains foothills, granite hogbacks and timbered ridges rising off the Laramie River valley toward the Laramie Range and the eastern flank of the Snowy Range.
Cover: Big sagebrush, grassland and mountain shrub on the foothills and valley; ponderosa pine, aspen and limber pine on the ridges and higher slopes; willow and cottonwood along the Laramie River.
Landmarks: Sheep Mountain · Boulder Ridge · Laramie River · Woods Landing · Jelm Mountain · Snowy Range front
Access
Roughly 80% private ranch land with scattered BLM and state parcels, so a land-ownership app is essential. This is southern-Wyoming land-grant checkerboard country near the Union Pacific / Laramie corridor, with alternating public/private sections; corner-crossing between public parcels is legally fraught, so secure permission or stay on contiguous public. Public timber lies toward the Snowy Range front on the west.
Managers: private ranch, BLM, WY state trust, USFS Medicine Bow-Routt NF
Access points: US 287 corridor south of Laramie · WY 230 / WY 10 through Woods Landing and Jelm · Medicine Bow-Routt NF roads on the west edge · BLM two-tracks off the county road network
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityElk are the marquee draw, with better bulls in the timbered mountains on the west and in the southeast corner; much of the herd spends time on private ranch ground, so access dictates opportunity.
- →Hunt the timber-and-park edges on the Snowy Range front at first and last light
- →Work the southeast corner ridges away from roads
- →Line up private-land permission early where elk hold
- →Glass from ridgetops into the aspen-and-sage transition
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer use the sage foothills, hogback breaks and aspen pockets across the unit, with bucks on the brushy ridges and rims.
- →Glass the hogback breaks and sage draws morning and evening
- →Still-hunt aspen and mountain-shrub pockets
- →Focus contiguous public and permission-secured ground
Pronghorn
common opportunityPronghorn work the open sagebrush foothills and Laramie River flats, though many roam the private ranch sections.
- →Spot-and-stalk the open sage flats and benches
- →Glass from high points to locate bucks
- →Verify public/private lines before committing to a stalk in the checkerboard
Pro tips
- →Treat access as the whole game — 19% public in checkerboard country means map and permission first
- →Chase elk on the public Snowy Range timber and the southeast corner
- →Don't corner-cross blind; secure permission or stay on contiguous public
- →Watch for rattlesnakes in the lower foothills early season
- →Prep for sudden weather and muddy or snow-drifted roads
Watch out for
- !Only ~19% public land amid heavy private ranch
- !Southern-Wyoming land-grant checkerboard and corner-crossing legality
- !Rattlesnakes in warm early-season foothills
- !Harsh weather and drifting roads late season
- !Elk often hold on inaccessible private ground
Logistics
Laramie is the full-service hub with lodging, fuel and groceries and I-80 access; Woods Landing and Jelm offer minimal services closer to the country. ATVs help cover the ranch-road and BLM two-track network, but the access map matters more than the machine. Rattlesnakes are present in the lower foothills in warm weather.
Nearest towns: Laramie, Woods Landing, Jelm, Centennial
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT Wyoming Area 8 - Boulder Ridge Unit Profile · WGFD - Can I hunt checkerboard lands? · Visit Laramie / Albany County Hunting
FAQ
- How big is Unit 8 in Wyoming?
- Unit 8 (Boulder Ridge (Area 8)) covers about 377 square miles, ranging from roughly 7,200 to 9,700 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 8?
- Approximately 19% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch, BLM, WY state trust, USFS Medicine Bow-Routt NF. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 8?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 8 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.