Nine Mile, Range Creek, Utah

Elevations run from approximately 4,070 feet at the Green River canyon bottoms to roughly 10,100 feet at Bruin Point on the West Tavaputs Plateau — a relief of more than 6,000 feet. The unit encompasses the ~40-mile Nine Mile Canyon corridor (BLM lists it at 46 miles; Wikipedia at approximately 40 miles), the Range Creek canyon system (tucked into the Book Cliffs), and portions of Desolation Canyon on the Green River, which rivals the Grand Canyon in depth at nearly 5,000 feet. Terrain between the canyon bottoms, plateaus, and ridgelines is extremely steep, with exposed sandstone and shale cliffs, bentonite slides, and sandstone bench topography. The Range Creek drainage itself is carved into the West Tavaputs Plateau. Some terrain is impassable even to packhorses.

The primary vehicle entry is Nine Mile Canyon Road (Utah SR-53/Nine Mile Canyon National Backcountry Byway), accessed from Wellington (south of Price) via Soldier Creek Road; approximately 34 miles is paved (paving completed October 2014). A northern loop exits via Gate Canyon Road to Myton on US-40, but Gate Canyon becomes impassable when wet due to bentonite clay. Argyle Canyon Road, off US-191 near Duchesne, provides access to the northern (Anthro) subunit. Bruin Point Road provides access to the high plateau. Range Creek is the most restricted section: the canyon is managed by the Natural History Museum of Utah. A day permit (limited to 28 visitors/day, May 15–Nov 30) is required; pedestrian and horse access only through the north gate — no vehicles permitted inside (bicycles also prohibited). Big game hunters using the Range Creek WMA campsite (Aug 1–Nov 30, single-party) must coordinate with the UDWR Price office (435-613-3700); all party members must purchase season passes. Roughly 75,448 acres of private land in the Range Creek subunit are enrolled in 6 Cooperative Wildlife Management Units (CWMUs), which exclude public elk hunting. Additional private inholdings with locked gates block vehicle access to large tracts of public land. The Jack Canyon and Desolation Canyon Wilderness Study Areas prohibit motorized vehicles. Cell service is absent throughout most of the canyon systems.

At lower elevations (below ~6,500 ft) desert shrub, greasewood, overmature basin big sagebrush, and pinyon-juniper woodlands dominate canyon walls and benches. Mid-elevation uplands (6,500–8,500 ft) feature mountain big sagebrush communities, mountain brush (serviceberry, bitterbrush, oakbrush), and scattered cheatgrass invasion areas. The high plateau (above ~8,500 ft) supports aspen, Douglas fir, and wet meadow habitats — the unit's primary elk summer range. Riparian corridors along Nine Mile Creek, Range Creek, and tributary drainages provide willow, cottonwood, and succulent forage. Pinyon-juniper encroachment into sagebrush parks is an ongoing management concern across the unit.

Elk inhabit the unit year-round, with summer concentration in high-elevation aspen and Douglas fir communities on the Tavaputs Plateau and winter dispersal to lower sagebrush and canyon ranges. The Range Creek subunit held an estimated 2,200 elk in 2022 — above its 1,800-animal objective — following population recovery from a decade of drought stagnation. Mule deer are distributed across the full unit, with an estimated 5,100–6,800 animals on the Range Creek subunit during recent surveys; summer range limitation constrains population growth. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep occupy the Gray Canyon and Jack Creek drainages along the Green River. Pronghorn are present in open plateau areas of the Range Creek and Anthro-Myton Bench subunits. Bison roam a portion of the unit under an OTC once-in-a-lifetime permit system. Mountain lion are present as the apex predator, with predation documented in sheep management records. Black bear occupy the higher elevation aspen and mixed conifer habitat. Wild turkeys have been documented in the Range Creek canyon. Wild horses (Range Creek Herd Management Area) compete with elk and deer for forage, particularly during drought; periodic gathers have been conducted.

1. The hunt boundary 'Nine Mile, Range Creek' (unit 11B) is the southern subunit of UDWR Elk/Deer Herd Unit 11; the northern sibling is 'Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench' (11A) — the Anthro subunit is a spike-only elk unit while Range Creek is any-bull. 2. Pronghorn hunt boundaries: PB5038 (ALW, 11 permits, 100% success) and PB5053 (archery, 3 permits, 50% success) are both within the Range Creek boundary. 3. Approximately 75,448 acres of private land within the Range Creek subunit are enrolled in 6 CWMUs, closed to public elk hunting. 4. Range Creek canyon access is uniquely restricted: the Natural History Museum of Utah controls entry permits (28/day max, May 15–Nov 30); no vehicles or bicycles inside the gate. 5. Bighorn sheep: RS6712 (Gray Canyon, 6 permits, 83.3% success) and RS6713 (Jack Creek, 4 permits, 100% success) fall within this boundary as distinct OIAL designations. 6. Nine Mile bison permit (BI6527) is OTC/OIAL sold July 7; availability varies annually; season runs Aug 1–Jan 31. 7. Deer general season covers both the Anthro and Range Creek subunits combined as the 'Nine Mile' deer unit; unit-specific success breakdown is not separately published. 8. Public land pct (~72%) per GoHunt unit profile. 9. Native American Trust Lands within the legal boundary are explicitly excluded from hunting. 10. Nine Mile, Green River Valley is a named extended archery deer area (Sept 12–Oct 15) that may overlap this boundary. 11. Canyon length: BLM states 46 miles, Wikipedia cites approximately 40 miles; both sources consulted.