Chiwawa is approximately 90% National Forest land. Part of the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness lies in the very western edge of this unit. Small private tracts typically follow the Wenatchee River in the lower center portion and along the White River above Lake Wenatchee. This valley also has various timber thinning cuts that have taken place over the past decade or so. The Entiat Mountain range forms the eastern border with the Entiat River serving as the dividing line for private ground. In 2018, the Cougar Creek fire burnt a huge path through these dry rolling mountains along Tyee Ridge in the Entiat range which should provide excellent forage in the future. Further north and west, elevations rise through a series of rolling hills and valleys gaining only a few hundred feet in elevation to the foothills of the Cascade Range. There is a simple set of unimproved and unpaved roads up the valleys allowing easy access without roads to every little drainage. This is great for hunters who want to get a little elbow room, but aren’t necessarily up for a backcountry hunt. Elk are few and far between here, with extremely low hunting success. This is a fair unit for mule deer, with the best success rates occurring when accessing areas without roads and pressure. During the late season, you can find them congregated on south-facing slopes around the snow line. Black bears, cougars, blue grouse and ruffed grouse hunting opportunities are also found in this region. There are little to no whitetail deer here, they are mainly found along the riparian habitat. The grizzly bear recovery zone overlaps this GMU.

Wildfires in other GMUs have shifted hunters to this unit.

This terrain is more moderate than it is further north into the Cascade Range. The Wenatchee, White and Chiwawa Rivers run through the unit, separating the Cascade Range in the west with the Entiat Mountains to the east. These are typically gentle rolling mountains with a few steep sides. The west portion of heavily forested and transitions into sparse, broken timber and prairie land in the east offering excellent glassing opportunities for mule deer. After it snows in higher elevations, this unit should get better as migratory deer move in for the winter. There are numerous ponds, lakes and creeks offering excellent winter forage. The main river valleys are largely developed with ranchettes, small agriculture plots and a bit of logging. Each main drainage has road access making this area great for day hikes, however, there is not much past this.

Conifer forests with pine, fir and aspen are located in the western portion and transition through a broad wetland’s valley to more arid and open grassland as it meets the Entiat River. At and above timberline, you will see a variety of fast growing grasses and forbs in this short growing season, along with windblown scrub pine and lichen. The woodlands will give way as you move east, and arid sage land and short bunch grass prairies will take over. Following the bottoms of the valleys and draws along water sources, you will find buckbrush, reed grass and a variety of wildflowers. Agricultural land, typically in the lowest elevations in the unit, are primarily orchards producing apples, pears, cherries, apricots and peaches.

There is easy access via a simple road system in main valleys, however there still isn’t much.

Primitive camping on National Forest land is allowed for the majority of the year, but various fire bans and forest road closures may be in effect, so double check any restrictions or permits necessary prior to your trip. If you are more interested in a bed and a shower, and being closer to gas stations, restaurants, and a grocery store, your best option will be in the small town of Leavenworth along the Wenatchee River.