Kamas, Utah

Elevation ranges from roughly 6,500 ft in the Kamas Valley and lower canyon bottoms to 10,500+ ft on the high Uinta plateaus; the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway (SR-150) crests at Bald Mountain Pass at 10,715 ft. The eastern two-thirds of the unit is characterized by densely timbered mountains, deep glacially carved canyons, and alpine lake basins above 10,000 ft. The western edge (Kamas Valley and the West Hills between Kamas and Park City) is gentler, open foothill terrain. The boundary follows I-80 north to SR-32 at Wanship, south through Oakley, east on the Weber Canyon Road (CR-2596) to Holiday Park, east along the Weber River Trail to SR-150 near Pass Lake, then south on SR-150 to the North Fork Provo River corridor, south to the Provo River, south to SR-35, west to Francis and SR-32, west to US-40, north to I-80 (confirmed from UDWR Elk Herd Unit #7 and Deer Herd Unit #7 management plans).

Primary paved access is SR-150 (Mirror Lake Scenic Byway), a seasonal route climbing from Kamas through the Provo River canyon into the High Uinta Wilderness corridor; it closes mid-fall through mid-May and requires a Recreation.gov fee pass for vehicles parked at developed Forest Service sites. SR-32 from I-80 (Wanship) south through Oakley provides the northern and western corridor. US-40 runs along the southern edge near Jordanelle Reservoir, and SR-35 crosses the southern portion between Francis and Woodland. The Weber Canyon Road (CR-2596) from Oakley east to Holiday Park provides access to the northern interior. Multiple USFS trailheads along SR-150 give entry into the High Uintas Wilderness. The eastern portion of the unit is overwhelmingly public USFS land (approximately 93% of summer range); private land dominates the western valley floor (Kamas Valley, West Hills), where hunter access requires landowner permission — approximately 67–78% of critical winter range is private (deer plan: 67% private winter range; elk plan: 62% private winter range). The Kamas Wildlife Management Area (UDWR) provides additional public winter range and is managed with boundary fencing. Large blocks of private property in Kamas Valley and the West Hills serve as effective elk refuges, limiting antlerless harvest during key periods.

Upper elevations feature Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and lodgepole pine, transitioning to Douglas fir, blue spruce, and aspen at mid-elevations (roughly 7,500–9,500 ft). Lower canyon walls and the West Hills carry oak brush (Gambel oak), bigtooth maple, and pinyon-juniper. Riparian corridors along the Provo River, North Fork Provo River, Weber River, and Beaver Creek support willow, cottonwood, and mixed shrub understory. Sagebrush and bitterbrush characterize remaining lower-elevation winter range; UDWR habitat plans note aspen loss to conifer encroachment at mid-elevations, juniper encroachment on winter ranges, and degradation from cheatgrass and bulbous bluegrass. Alpine meadows and willow carr occur above timberline.

Mule deer are the primary big game species; the deer herd objective is 8,000 wintering animals. The 2023 annual report shows a 3-year average postseason buck:doe ratio of 23 bucks per 100 does (2021: 21, 2022: 24, 2023: 23) on public land ranges, which is above the 18–20 management objective. Winter range loss to development, juniper encroachment, annual grass invasion (cheatgrass, bulbous bluegrass), and competition from an expanding elk herd are documented management challenges. Rocky Mountain elk winter population objective is 850; the 2023 UDWR elk plan estimates approximately 1,100–1,300 wintering animals (plan narrative: ~1,100 stable; trend data: 1,300 in most recent year), significantly above objective, driven partly by seasonal migration from adjacent units. The unit is designated a general-season any-bull elk unit (confirmed in the 2023 UDWR Elk Herd Unit #7 Management Plan). Moose occupy the forested drainages and wet meadows. Mountain goats occupy high rocky terrain on the combined Chalk Creek/Kamas, Uintas mountain goat unit (GO6804). Black bears are present throughout the forested mountains. Mountain lions occur year-round (cougar management unit 7). CWD has not been confirmed in this unit but the Kamas unit is on the UDWR 2026 active CWD surveillance list for the general-season deer hunt.

1. Public land pct (63%) sourced from GoHunt unit profile; UDWR management plans confirm ~93% USFS on summer range and 33–38% public on winter range, blending to approximately 63% overall. 2. The mountain goat unit GO6804 'Chalk Creek/Kamas, Uintas' is a combined geographic unit shared with the adjacent Chalk Creek boundary; not all permits originate from the Kamas portion. 3. The draft's claim of a buck:doe ratio of 17.5 below objective was not supported by the 2023 annual report, which shows a 3-year avg of 23 (above the 18-20 objective) for Kamas public land ranges; the 2026 permit allocation change direction for this unit was not confirmed from available sources. 4. Mountain lion in Utah does NOT require a draw permit (corrected from draft); it is OTC year-round with a valid license. 5. CWD has not been confirmed positive in the Kamas unit, but it is on the UDWR 2026 active CWD surveillance list. 6. Season dates cited are 2026 dates from the Utah Field Regulations Guidebook. 7. The bear boundary 'Kamas/North Slope, Summit' extends beyond the Kamas hunt boundary into the North Slope area.