Junction Butte SWA: hunting rules and access
Junction Butte SWA is 1,304 acres of State Wildlife Area in Grand County, Colorado, in game management unit 37. CPW lists deer, dusky (blue) grouse, elk and rabbit for it, and its rules for the property run to 2 lines: 1 on its page for the property and 1 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Grand |
| Game management unit | 37 |
| Size | 1,304 acres |
| Coordinates | 40.0272, -106.3563 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Junction Butte SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 37 | The largest of 2 by the acres on CPW's pages, 91% of their 1,438 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.
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
- Vehicles allowed only from day after Labor Day through Dec. 31.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Vehicles are prohibited, except from the day after Labor Day through December 31.
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 Junction Butte 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 37, around Junction Butte SWA
- Elk in unit 37, 2024: 1,955 hunters in all seasons took 200 elk, 10% success (2023: 10% from 2,113 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 1,054 hunters, 14%. Unit 37 elk by season
- Deer in unit 37, 2024: 338 hunters in all seasons took 112 deer, 33% success (2023: 21% from 632 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 222 hunters, 45%. Unit 37 deer by season
- Unit 37: 528 square miles in Summit and Grand Counties, 63.6% national forest and 5.1% BLM land, from 7,400 to 13,100 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 37
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:45 AM to 6:57 PM | E-E-028-O1-R either-sex E-F-028-O1-R cow | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:56 AM to 6:43 PM | E-F-028-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-F-018-O2-R doe D-M-018-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:12 AM to 5:26 PM | E-F-028-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-F-018-O3-R doe D-M-018-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:24 AM to 5:17 PM | E-E-028-O4-R either-sex E-F-028-O4-R cow | D-M-018-O4-R buck D-M-027-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 37 elk, unit 37 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Junction Butte SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Mountain STL | 7.8 miles | south-east | 620 | 28 |
| Radium SWA - Hartman Unit | 8.3 miles | south-west | 1,864 | 15, 27, 361 |
| Slide Mountain STL | 9.2 miles | north-east | 1,268 | 18 |
| Kemp Breeze SWA | 9.2 miles | east | 1,711 | 18, 28 |
| Radium SWA - Blacktail Unit | 9.6 miles | west | 4,017 | 15, 27, 361 |
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 37
Blue River SWA - Blue River UnitBlue River SWA - Eagle's Nest UnitBlue River SWA - Sutton Unit
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.