Unit 51, Colorado

The Rampart Range runs north-to-south through the middle of the unit, providing the dominant ridge-and-canyon terrain. Elevation ranges from approximately 5,400 feet on the eastern plains near I-25 to about 9,100 feet along the Rampart Range crest (GoHunt confirmed). Mesas and buttes — including Thunder, Dawson, and Raspberry Buttes — are prominent landmarks visible along the I-25 corridor. Canyons and creek drainages cut west-to-east from the range toward the plains. South Beaver Creek, Rampart Reservoir, and the South Platte River drainage define key riparian corridors.

The Pike National Forest (Pikes Peak Ranger District) encompasses roughly 24,000 acres within the unit. The primary forest access route is Rampart Range Road (Forest Service Road 300), a ~50-mile ridge-crest corridor running from Sedalia (US 85 to County Road 5/Jarre Canyon Road) south to Manitou Springs. Key campgrounds along Rampart Range Road include Devils Head (off FS 300), Jackson Creek (FS Road 502), Flat Rocks Campground, and Indian Creek/Indian Creek Horse (Colorado Route 67 west of Sedalia). Dispersed camping in the Rampart Range Recreation Area is restricted to designated numbered sites along FS Roads 300, 502, 507, and 563; fees apply ($22/night small sites, $33/night large sites; Senior/Access Pass 50% discount). The formal closure order runs April 1–May 31 annually for resource protection; roads typically close December 1 and reopen no earlier than late May depending on ground conditions. Private land makes up approximately 48% of the unit, including significant ranching parcels that border Rampart Range Road — hunters must verify land status carefully. The Sharptail Ridge State Wildlife Area within Unit 51 requires a special permit for deer or elk hunting; hunters apply by August 10 and must already hold a valid Unit 51 public-land deer or elk license. No federally designated Wilderness exists within the unit, but the roadless portions of the Rampart Range provide backcountry-style hunting on foot.

Lower elevations (5,400–7,000 ft) are dominated by ponderosa pine with parklike understories, merging into dense stands of Gambel oak (oakbrush), mountain mahogany, and bitterbrush on south-facing slopes and foothills. Creek bottoms support cottonwood and willow riparian corridors. Upper Rampart Range (7,000–9,100 ft) transitions to mixed ponderosa-aspen stands and, at the highest reaches, spruce-fir. Open grassland parks and meadows occur throughout the range. Wildfire and forest-thinning operations have created brushy early-successional habitat that benefits both deer and elk. The rolling terrain east of the Rampart Range grades into shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie toward I-25.

Mule deer are the primary big-game quarry, with resident and some migratory animals using the oakbrush and pine foothills for summer and early fall range and descending to lower terrain during later rifle seasons, particularly along Camp Creek drainages. Elk are present throughout the unit; during archery and early muzzleloader seasons animals concentrate near South Beaver Creek and around Rampart Reservoir before hunting pressure pushes them into darker timber. Both resident and seasonally migratory elk herds use the unit, and the rut begins as early as the first week of September. A small Shiras moose population inhabits the South Platte River corridor and associated riparian habitats — GMU 51 is one of only a handful of Front Range units with an established moose draw. Black bears are present throughout the forested Rampart Range. Mountain lions inhabit the range year-round. Wild turkeys occur at low densities throughout. White-tailed deer are associated with private-land riparian corridors, particularly along Monument Creek and lower-elevation stream bottoms. No pronghorn or bighorn sheep hunting opportunities exist within the unit.