Quick Tips
- Enjoy a visit to Dinosaur National Monument
- Picking up shed antlers in the monument is illegal
- Browns Park offers waterfowl hunting
- Be self sufficient, as towns are 70-75 miles away
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 160"-180" | 180"+ |
| Elk | 300"-340" | 350"+ |
| Antelope | 75"-80" | 80"+ |
On The Ground
This is one of the smallest game management units in the state, only 20 miles long and five to eight miles wide in most places, but almost everybody who has been applying for several years for a high-quality elk tag in Colorado knows of Unit 1. A lot of nonresidents want to hunt elk here that most out-of-state tags go to hunters who have applied for nearly 20 years. Mule deer and antelope also live here, but tags to hunt them are usually marginally easier to draw.
This unit has a reputation as one of the state's top units for producing trophy-class elk and good opportunities for mule deer and pronghorn antelope. Draw odds are steep but hunters who get lucky enough to draw a tag will be in for a great hunt.
Terrain
Mostly moderately steep mountains covered with timber extending into long ridges that break off into open foothills and precipices plummeting into the Green River. Most of the lower elevation area are void of any serious vegetation while the higher elevations will see a greater concentration of timber, particularly on the northern slopes.
Roughly 127 square miles
90.9% public land
Elevations from 5,050-8,673 feet
Vegetation
Mostly junipers from 7,000 to 8,500 feet with some slopes covered with grass and sagebrush and bands of oak brush, the bottoms of the drainages typically consist of open brushlands and grass with pines on steep slopes above the Green River which is lined with willows, tamarisk and cottonwoods.
Access
Most BLM land is accessed by vehicles with four-wheel-drive capabilities, because of the dirt roads and hiking trails. About 4,000 acres of private land lie between Diamond Mountain, the Wild Mountain and Troy Mountain off-highway vehicle areas. No motorized vehicles are allowed in Diamond Breaks Wilderness Study Area, which includes Diamond Peak and most of the better elk habitat in the north, even though old jeep trails cross the area. Mule deer and elk hunting is permitted on Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge but not on Dinosaur National Monument, which are both placed on both sides of the Green River.
Carry maps showing land ownership
Be sure to stay out of Utah while hunting
Be prepared to hike in wilderness study areas
Camping and Lodging
Most hunters camp along dirt roads on public land. Browns Park State Park and Dinosaur National Monument rent campsites in developed campgrounds. Hunters may have guns in their trucks while on the monument, but may not hunt there. Archers must have a National Park Service permit to possess a bow on monument property. Gasoline, groceries and other services are in Vernal, Utah about 75 miles away and Craig, which is 70 miles away.
Indian Crossing Campground in Browns Park
Bridge Hollow Campground in Browns Park
Gates of Lodore Campground in Dinosaur National Monument
Echo Park Campground in Dinosaur National Monument
No nearby towns with lodging
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