Gunnison SWA: hunting rules and access
Gunnison SWA is 2,800 acres of State Wildlife Area in Gunnison County, Colorado, in game management unit 54. CPW lists deer, dusky (blue) grouse, elk and rabbit for it, and its rules for the property run to 15 lines: 7 on its page for the property and 8 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Gunnison |
| Game management unit | 54 |
| Size | 2,800 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.5650, -107.0299 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Gunnison SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 54 | 2nd largest of 6 by the acres on CPW's pages, 20% of their 14,054 acres together |
| CPW's page read | October 8, 2026 |
A State Wildlife Area has its own rules on top of the statewide season rules. How the kinds of public land differ.
What CPW lists for hunting here
Deer, Dusky (blue) grouse, Elk, Rabbit.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Coldwater Stream.
A species on this list is one CPW names for the property. It still needs an open season, the right license for the unit, and nothing in the restrictions below against it on your dates.
Who may enter
A valid hunting or fishing license OR SWA pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing this state wildlife area.
Restrictions on CPW's page for this property
- A.. Open for public access May 1-Nov. 30.
- B. Blinberry Gulch parcel open for public access July 1-Nov. 30.
- C. Open for public access from 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset only, except for lawful hunting activities.
- D. Camping only in designated areas by licensed hunters during big-game season, plus 3 days before and 3 days after each season.
- E. Beaver Creek Trail restricted to foot and horseback travel only.
- G. Fires allowed within containment structure in designated camping areas.
- G. Archery range users must comply with archery range rules as posted.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited from December 1 through April 30.
- b. Public access is allowed year-round on the West Beaver Creek trail that originates from National Park Service lands, and crosses the corner of the Gunnison SWA onto Bureau of Land Management lands along the southwest property boundary.
- c. Public access to the Blinberry Gulch parcel is prohibited from December 1 through June 30.
- d. Public access is prohibited from one (1) hour after sunset to one (1) hour before sunrise, except for lawful hunting activities.
- e. Beaver Creek Trail is restricted to foot and horseback travel only.
- f. Camping is allowed in designated areas by licensed hunters during an established big game season plus three (3) days before and three (3) days after each season.
- g. Fires are allowed within a containment structure in designated camping areas.
- h. Archery range users must comply with archery range rules as posted.
From CPW regulations, chapter W-9 (Wildlife Properties), 2 CCR 406-9, dated July 16, 2026.
Read it at the source before you go
The rules above are CPW's words, copied from CPW's page for Gunnison SWA as it read on October 8, 2026 and from the regulations for CPW properties. CPW can change them or close the property at any time, signs on the ground count, and a rule that names a season moves with that season each year.
Unit 54, around Gunnison SWA
- Elk in unit 54, 2024: 2,242 hunters in all seasons took 498 elk, 22% success (2023: 18% from 2,299 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 1,978 hunters, 22%. Unit 54 elk by season
- Deer in unit 54, 2024: 651 hunters in all seasons took 371 deer, 57% success (2023: 55% from 622 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 518 hunters, 64%. Unit 54 deer by season
- Unit 54: 584 square miles in Gunnison County, 60.1% national forest and 12.6% BLM land, from 7,500 to 12,100 feet.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife survey estimates for the whole unit, private land included. They are not figures for this property, and whether elk or deer may be hunted here is in CPW's list above.
2026 elk and deer rifle hunt codes for unit 54
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:46 AM to 7:01 PM | E-F-054-O1-R cow E-M-054-O1-R bull | D-F-054-O1-R doe |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:56 AM to 6:47 PM | E-M-054-O2-R bull | D-F-054-O2-R doe D-M-054-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:11 AM to 5:32 PM | E-F-054-O3-R cow E-M-054-O3-R bull | D-F-054-O3-R doe D-M-054-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:23 AM to 5:23 PM | E-F-054-O4-R cow E-M-054-O4-R bull | D-M-054-O4-R buck |
A code valid in the unit is not permission to hunt this property: the property's own list and restrictions decide that. Legal light is half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset at the coordinates above, on the Colorado clock; the state's printed table is the rule. Archery, muzzleloader, late and private-land codes are on the unit pages: unit 54 elk, unit 54 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Gunnison SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison River SWA | 4.8 miles | east | 81 | 54 |
| Centennial SWA | 5.5 miles | south-west | 1,835 | 54 |
| Miller Ranch SWA | 7.7 miles | north | 1,670 | 54 |
| Tomichi Creek SWA | 8.2 miles | east | 466 | 67 |
| Sapinero SWA | 9.3 miles | west | 6,944 | 54 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
More CPW properties in unit 54
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
Have a tag for this fall?
A FilledTag plan checks the rules of any CPW property it uses against your species and your dates, and gives you one exact plan: where to park, camp and sit, with every pin checked against public land and road rules.