GMU 560 - Lewis River, Washington

GMU 560 occupies the Lewis River drainage in southwestern Washington within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Elevation ranges from roughly 1,200 feet along the Lewis River corridor to 12,276 feet at the summit of Mount Adams. The lower third is characterized by dense mixed conifer forest — western hemlock, Douglas-fir, western red cedar, and bigleaf maple — transitioning to subalpine fir and mountain hemlock above 4,000 feet. Terrain is predominantly steep, with approximately 80% of the unit at slopes of 25 degrees or less. Major topographic features include the Lewis River canyon, Swift Reservoir, Yale Reservoir, the southern flanks of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, and the wilderness flanks of the Indian Heaven backcountry. Scattered active and regenerating clearcuts from private timber operations and historical Forest Service harvests create critical edge habitat throughout the mid-elevation benches.

Approximately 90% of GMU 560 is public land, primarily Gifford Pinchot National Forest. A portion of the northern boundary touches PacifiCorp utility land along Swift Reservoir's north shore, where non-motorized access is permitted. Private timber company parcels are interspersed at lower elevations; access permits ranging from $50–$500 depending on the company are required. Forest Road 90 (FR-90) is the main east-west arterial running the length of the unit alongside the Lewis River and Swift Reservoir, providing paved year-round access to the heart of the unit. Secondary roads (FR-25, FR-23, FR-51, and numerous spur roads) branch north and south into the backcountry. Road maps must be studied carefully to identify roadless pockets that hold elk pushed off accessible terrain by hunting pressure. Trailheads at Quartz Creek, Boundary Trail, and Dark Divide offer backcountry access into less-pressured country.

Old-growth western hemlock, Douglas-fir, and western red cedar dominate the lower drainages and north-facing slopes, providing dense thermal cover used by elk during the heat of early season. Clearcuts ranging from 1 to 30 years old are scattered across mid-elevation benches and provide the primary forage areas for elk and deer, with elk moving into them heavily at dawn and dusk. Alder-lined riparian corridors along the Lewis River and its tributaries offer year-round browse. Subalpine parklands and huckleberry fields above 4,500 feet concentrate elk through late summer and into the archery season before winter snowpack pushes animals down to lower wintering grounds near 1,500–2,500 feet.

Roosevelt elk in GMU 560 are part of the Mount St. Helens herd complex, surveyed at approximately 2,097 animals across the expanded herd area in March 2024 — a 38% increase from the 2022 survey count of 1,522. Elk follow a classic elevational migration: bulls summer on high ridges and subalpine basins, dropping to mid-elevation clearcuts and river benches during the September rut. The rut typically begins in the first week of September and runs approximately four weeks. During modern firearm season in November, hunting pressure is heavy and elk retreat into deep drainages and old-growth timber away from roads. Black-tailed deer are present throughout but populations are generally low in Cascade Mountain GMUs. Black bears are resident year-round, most active in clearcuts and huckleberry patches in late summer and early fall.

All harvested elk must have hooves left in the field — WDFW requires hunters to leave hooves to support hoof rot disease (Treponema-associated bovine digital dermatitis) surveillance. Washington uses a pure random draw with no preference point system; every applicant has equal odds regardless of application history. Special permit hunts draw meaningful competition: the Quality Elk Hunt (Hunt 2035, 2 permits, any bull Sept. 28–Oct. 2) averaged 320 applications in the 2025 draw. Antlerless permits (Hunt 2425, 5 permits) drew only 209 applications with an average 3 accumulated points, making them the most accessible limited-entry opportunity. General-season elk tags are over-the-counter western Washington tags. Heavy hunter pressure during rifle season pushes elk deep; backcountry hunters willing to leave the road system have the best success. Clearcut hunting at first and last light is the dominant strategy for general-season hunters.