Book Cliffs, North, Utah

Rugged, remote canyon-and-mesa terrain with elevations ranging from approximately 5,500 feet in northern desert shrub zones to roughly 8,500 feet in aspen and fir zones along the Book Cliffs divide. The escarpment is characterized by Cretaceous sandstone cliffs, deep drainages, finger canyons, rolling ridgelines, and steep slopes. The Book Cliffs summit forms the primary north-south drainage divide separating the unit from the Tavaputs Plateau country to the north.

The unit is administered primarily by the BLM Vernal Field Office (170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078; 435-781-4400). The principal motorized access corridor is Seep Ridge Road (SR-88), a primitive dirt road running south from Vernal into the heart of the cliffs; this road intersects the Divide Road and reaches Steer Ridge Road at Ten Mile Knoll. Kings Well Road provides an additional interior route. The Steer Ridge Trailhead (atop the drainage divide, accessed from the north via Seep Ridge Road) and the Thompson Springs Trailhead in Grand County (accessed from I-70 Exit 164 via Sego Canyon Road) serve non-motorized access. Roads become impassable in wet conditions. Native American Trust Lands (Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation) border the unit on the west and are closed to public hunting and ATV travel. CWMU (Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit) private-land hunting areas exist within or adjacent to the boundary; hunters without a CWMU permit may not hunt on those properties. Roadless interior areas experience substantially less pressure.

Lower elevations support desert shrub, greasewood canyon bottoms, and sage flats interspersed with scattered pinyon-juniper stands and grassy draw bottoms. Mid-elevations are dominated by dense pinyon-juniper with sagebrush parks and mountain browse communities; invasive cheatgrass is increasing in herbaceous understories. Upper elevations and canyon heads transition into aspen groves, mountain mahogany, and limited spruce-fir near the divide. Riparian corridors along perennial streams contain cottonwood, willow, and native browse species, though tamarisk encroachment is a management concern.

The Book Cliffs North unit holds a significant mule deer population. The broader Book Cliffs deer herd is distributed across the unit as yearlong habitat, with the south and southeast portions concentrating the highest deer densities in rolling hills, finger draws, and canyon heads with pinyon-juniper and sagebrush cover. Elk are present as a general-season spike-only unit; the Book Cliffs elk herd is managed toward a wintering population target on BLM lands in the unit. Black bears inhabit mid-to-upper elevation aspen and canyon-bottom habitats and have been identified as a significant elk calf predator in management plans. Mountain lions are present throughout in rocky cliff terrain and canyon systems. Pronghorn (antelope) occur in the lower sagebrush flats; BLM confirms antelope presence in the recreation area, though designated pronghorn hunt boundaries in the 2025 guidebook are listed as Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek (PB5026) and Book Cliffs, South (PB5027) — verify whether a North-specific pronghorn hunt tag exists before applying. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep have been noted in the broader Book Cliffs canyon system but no confirmed North-unit-specific huntable population or hunt code was found. Blue grouse and sage grouse are present at appropriate elevations. Small perennial streams support trout.

1. Tag quota of 127 is for the any-legal-weapon rifle hunt DB1017 (Book Cliffs North) only — 114 resident + 13 nonresident per 2025 UDWR permit recommendation table. The archery hunt DB1011 covers the full Book Cliffs LE archery area (not just North) and is a separate permit. Muzzleloader DB1025 similarly covers all of Book Cliffs LE muzzleloader. Multiseason permit DB1044 covers archery + muzzleloader + any legal weapon across the full LE area. 2. Hunter success rate for DB1017 specifically was not confirmed from a primary UDWR harvest report. Archery hunt DB1011 (full Book Cliffs) ran approximately 62–86% success (2011–2020) per NeverStopHunting data. 3. Pronghorn: 2025 UDWR guidebook lists pronghorn hunts as PB5026 (Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek) and PB5027 (Book Cliffs, South) — no Book Cliffs North pronghorn hunt number confirmed. Pronghorn are present on lower flats (confirmed by BLM) but verify a North-specific tag exists before applying. 4. Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep: noted in broader Book Cliffs canyon system but no Book Cliffs North-specific bighorn hunt was confirmed; removed from species array. 5. Elevation corrected: BLM Vernal Field Office page states approximately 5,500 ft (low) to 8,500 ft (high) — draft's 4,500 ft floor was unsupported and removed. 6. The Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation abuts the western unit boundary; all Native American Trust Lands are closed to public hunting and ATV travel. 7. CWD surveillance: Book Cliffs is on the 2026 UDWR CWD voluntary surveillance rotation; no mandatory sampling requirement for Book Cliffs North as of 2026. 8. Public land ~90% reflects effective huntable public land after excluding closed tribal lands; BLM confirms 455,000 acres in the recreation area.