Sand Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Sand Creek Wildlife Management Area is 32,489 acres in Fremont County, in Idaho Fish and Game's Upper Snake Region, inside game management units 60A and 60, established in 1947. Separate parcels that run from lodgepole and aspen on Big Bend Ridge through the Sand Creek desert and the St. Anthony Sand Dunes to the Chester Wetlands on the Henrys Fork.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: IDFG's page for Sand Creek WMA, read October 18, 2026. Outline: PAD-US. Harvest: IDFG harvest statistics, 2025.
| Size | 32,489 acres (IDFG) |
|---|---|
| County | Fremont County |
| Established | 1947 |
| IDFG region | Upper Snake |
| Game management units | 60A, 60 |
| Elk zone | Island Park |
| Primary purpose (IDFG) | Winter habitat for migratory big game and resident wildlife. |
| Habitat (IDFG) | Sagebrush-steppe, grassland, woodland, wetland, riparian |
| Camping | 25 first-come sites at the Sand Creek Ponds, each with a bear-resistant food box, table and fire ring; no camping at Chester Wetlands. |
What is Sand Creek WMA?
Separate parcels that run from lodgepole and aspen on Big Bend Ridge through the Sand Creek desert and the St. Anthony Sand Dunes to the Chester Wetlands on the Henrys Fork. It began in 1947 with 4,763 acres for a small wintering elk herd, and now winters about 2,500 mule deer, 3,500 elk and 500 moose from as far as Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Much of it is core sage-grouse habitat.
What can you hunt on Sand Creek WMA?
In Units 60 and 60A, hunters take elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose, waterfowl and upland birds, with youth waterfowl hunts. Short-range weapons only on the Chester Wetland segment.
IDFG lists these uses for the area: hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife watching, camping, hiking, horseback riding, boating and biking.
How do you get onto Sand Creek WMA, and when is it closed?
About 15 miles of mostly primitive road over sand and lava. The Egin-Hamer winter closure shuts the Sand Creek desert January 1 to April 1, and part of the ponds is closed January 1 to July 1. No ATVs at the Sand Creek camping area. Grizzly and black bears are in the north: proper food storage is required.
Can you camp on Sand Creek WMA?
25 first-come sites at the Sand Creek Ponds, each with a bear-resistant food box, table and fire ring; no camping at Chester Wetlands.
How many elk and deer are taken in the surrounding units?
IDFG counts harvest by unit, not by WMA. These are the whole units Sand Creek WMA lies in, for 2025:
General seasons, all weapons. Source: IDFG harvest statistics.
IDFG's maps and rules for Sand Creek WMA
Questions hunters ask
What can you hunt on Sand Creek WMA?
In Units 60 and 60A, hunters take elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose, waterfowl and upland birds, with youth waterfowl hunts. Short-range weapons only on the Chester Wetland segment. Seasons and tags follow the regulations for Units 60A and 60.
Can you camp on Sand Creek WMA?
25 first-come sites at the Sand Creek Ponds, each with a bear-resistant food box, table and fire ring; no camping at Chester Wetlands.
How do you get onto Sand Creek WMA?
About 15 miles of mostly primitive road over sand and lava. The Egin-Hamer winter closure shuts the Sand Creek desert January 1 to April 1, and part of the ponds is closed January 1 to July 1. No ATVs at the Sand Creek camping area. Grizzly and black bears are in the north: proper food storage is required.
Which hunting unit is Sand Creek WMA in?
Units 60A and 60 (Island Park elk zone), measured from IDFG's unit boundaries.
Get your free Idaho plan
FilledTag plans Idaho's general elk and deer seasons: a specific, legal place to park, camp and sit for your tag and your dates, with the walks between them, checked against land records. The first 50 Idaho plans are free, one per hunter, for hunters who hold or will hold an Idaho general elk or deer tag. Every Idaho plan is looked over by a person before it is sent.
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, rules, access, camping and uses: IDFG, Sand Creek WMA, written up by FilledTag in its own words.
- Outline: USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), land managed by Idaho Fish and Game. Units: IDFG's unit boundaries.
- Harvest: IDFG harvest statistics.
FilledTag is not part of Idaho Fish and Game. WMA rules change: check IDFG's page and its posted rules before you go.