Leaps Gulch SWA: hunting rules and access
Leaps Gulch SWA is 560 acres of State Wildlife Area in Colorado, in game management unit 55. CPW lists deer, dusky (blue) grouse and elk for it, and prints no restrictions of its own for the property beyond who may enter.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| Game management unit | 55 |
| Size | 560 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.6394, -106.8123 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Leaps Gulch SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 55 | 3rd largest of 4 by the acres on CPW's pages, 24% of their 2,353 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.
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
None printed on the property's page.
In CPW's regulations
The regulations for CPW properties carry no section of their own for this one. The rules that apply to every State Wildlife Area still apply.
Read it at the source before you go
The rules above are CPW's words, copied from CPW's page for Leaps Gulch 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 55, around Leaps Gulch SWA
- Elk in unit 55, 2024: 2,755 hunters in all seasons took 397 elk, 14% success (2023: 13% from 2,770 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 2,268 hunters, 14%. Unit 55 elk by season
- Deer in unit 55, 2024: 695 hunters in all seasons took 459 deer, 66% success (2023: 67% from 686 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 537 hunters, 70%. Unit 55 deer by season
- Unit 55: 886 square miles in Gunnison County, 81.1% national forest and 6.8% BLM land, from 7,900 to 12,700 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 55
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:46 AM to 7:00 PM | E-F-055-O1-R cow E-M-055-O1-R bull | D-F-055-O1-R doe |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:56 AM to 6:47 PM | E-M-055-O2-R bull | D-F-055-O2-R doe D-M-055-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:11 AM to 5:31 PM | E-F-055-O3-R cow E-M-055-O3-R bull | D-F-055-O3-R doe D-M-055-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:23 AM to 5:22 PM | E-F-055-O4-R cow E-M-055-O4-R bull | D-M-055-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 55 elk, unit 55 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Leaps Gulch SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Tuyl SWA | 4.1 miles | south | 534 | 55 |
| Cabin Creek SWA | 4.2 miles | south-east | 640 | 55 |
| Almont Triangle SWA | 4.7 miles | north | 631 | 55 |
| Tomichi Creek SWA | 7.9 miles | south-west | 466 | 67 |
| Gunnison River SWA | 8.6 miles | south-west | 81 | 54 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
Have a tag for this fall?
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