Unit 25, Colorado

Elevations range from approximately 6,300 feet near the Colorado River canyon bottoms to 12,361 feet at the summit of Flat Top Mountain on the Flat Tops plateau. The lower terrain consists of steep sandstone canyons and river-cut drainages along the Colorado River. Moving north and upslope, Darby Mesa and surrounding benches hold rolling sage and pinyon-juniper terrain. Mid elevations (roughly 8,000–10,000 ft) are dominated by dense timber with periodic meadow breaks, while upper elevations (10,000–12,361 ft) feature open subalpine parks, rocky ridgelines, avalanche chutes, and barren alpine tundra atop the Flat Tops plateau. Slopes across much of the public land are moderate, but many high-elevation approaches require significant physical exertion.

Access is primarily via Interstate 70 (US-6) through the Eagle River valley. From Dotsero (12 miles west of Eagle on I-70), Colorado River Road heads north approximately 7 miles; at that junction, Sweetwater Creek Road continues roughly 10 miles northeast to Sweetwater Lake and trailheads including the Ute Trail (#2031, 9.4 miles to Deep Lake on the Flat Tops) and Cross Creek Trail (#1855, 6.5 miles). Coffee Pot Road (Forest Service Road 600) departs from near Dotsero and climbs approximately 30 miles along the south edge of the Flat Tops to Deep Lake, providing access to the upper plateau. Forest Service Roads 613 and 610 near Burns and Derby Junction access the northern portions of the unit; FS Road 611 reaches Red Dirt Basin. The unit is managed by the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District of White River National Forest (office at 24747 US Highway 24, Minturn, CO; 970-827-5715). Forest Service campgrounds Sweetwater (7,740 ft) and Coffee Pot Spring are open June through early October; both close due to winter weather by mid-October. Mechanized vehicles are prohibited within the Flat Tops Wilderness portion. Some private ranch land exists along lower river drainages (approximately 17% of unit). Upper-elevation roads and the plateau may become impassable after early-October snowfall.

The unit spans several distinct vegetation zones. At lowest elevations along the Colorado River corridor, pinyon-juniper woodland mixes with Gambel oakbrush and serviceberry. Sagebrush benches and mesa tops transition into ponderosa pine and mountain shrub communities at mid elevations. Between roughly 9,500 and 11,500 feet, large aspen groves, open parks, and lodgepole pine dominate, interspersed with Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir on north-facing slopes. The Flat Tops plateau itself transitions to subalpine grasslands, small lakes, and alpine tundra above treeline. Riparian corridors along Sweetwater Creek and tributary drainages support willow, wild rose, and cottonwood.

GMU 25 falls within DAU E-6 (White River elk herd), one of the largest elk herds in North America; CPW counted over 18,500 elk in the White River and Williams Fork drainages during 2025 aerial surveys, with the herd returning to population objective range after the severe 2022-23 winter. Elk summer on the Flat Tops plateau and adjacent high-elevation parks, migrating to lower sagebrush, oakbrush, and pinyon-juniper winter range in the Colorado River canyon and surrounding drainages as snow deepens in October and November. Mule deer inhabit the unit year-round at varying elevations, with bucks using mid-to-upper elevation terrain in summer and dropping to lower drainages through the late-season rut (late October through December). Shiras moose are present in riparian and willow areas. Black bears occupy the full elevation gradient, with concentrated activity in oak brush and berry patches in summer and fall. Mountain lion range across the unit following deer populations. Pronghorn are listed as present but likely limited to lower sagebrush flats; the unit is predominantly mountain and forest terrain so pronghorn presence should be confirmed with CPW before applying. Wild turkey have been reported. The Colorado River provides fishing habitat along the eastern unit boundary.

1. Harvest statistics (2,714 hunters, 558 total harvest, 16.3% overall success rate) are from HuntScore citing 2022 data — all species combined; unit-specific elk-only figures require CPW downloadable harvest PDFs. 2. Peak elevation corrected to 12,361 ft (Flat Top Mountain summit) from draft's 12,240 ft. 3. Non-resident archery elk is now draw-only west of I-25 per 2026 CPW rule change. 4. White River herd (E-6) had 18,500+ elk counted in 2025 aerial surveys; herd returned to population objective range post-2022-23 winter. CPW proposed increased antlerless licenses for 2026. 5. Tag quotas for draw hunts are not in general-access web sources; see CPW Draw Recap Report. 6. 83% public land confirmed (59% USFS, 25% BLM, 23% wilderness). 7. Unit boundaries confirmed: Garfield and Eagle Counties, bounded on east and south by Colorado River.