Coldwater Canyon WMA: hunting, access and rules
Coldwater Canyon WMA is a 1,043-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Box Elder County, in DWR's Northern Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR's seasonal closure: Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April. Within 3 miles of it, 48.5% of the land is public, mostly national forest.
Data updated October 2026. Property facts: DWR's public access properties layer. Units: DWR's 2026 boundaries. Land around it: UGRC, 2023.
National forestDWR wildlife landState sovereign land (lake and river beds)Coldwater Canyon WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,043 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Box Elder |
| DWR region | Northern Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1997 |
| Nearest towns | Honeyville (next to it), Deweyville (2 mi) and Elwood (3 mi) |
| A point inside it | 41.6589, -112.0554 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Coldwater Canyon WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Coldwater Canyon under its habitat management plan of 2005.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Coldwater Canyon WMA in?
Coldwater Canyon WMA lies in 2 units with a page of their own; on the Cache general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 899 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Cache | general-season deer | 100% |
| Cache | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
Shares measured by FilledTag from DWR's 2026 unit boundaries and the WMA boundary. Harvest: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025; each unit's page has it year by year.
What wildlife does DWR list for Coldwater Canyon WMA?
Mountain big sage, rabbitbrush, juniper, maples, grasses/deer.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Coldwater Canyon WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 48.5% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (14,332 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 14,332 | 48.1% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 829 | 2.8% |
| DWR wildlife land | 110 | 0.4% |
| Private and other land not shown | 14,515 | 48.7% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Coldwater Canyon WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Bud Phelps WMA (272 acres, 8 miles northeast), Salt Creek WMA (6,205 acres, 10 miles west), Brigham Face WMA (4,595 acres, 13 miles south), Public Shooting Grounds WMA (13,356 acres, 14 miles west), Millville-Providence WMA (5,874 acres, 16 miles east) and East Fork Little Bear WMA (233 acres, 18 miles southeast).
How do you get to Coldwater Canyon WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: I-15, I-84, US 89 and US 91. Nearest towns: Honeyville (next to it), Deweyville (2 miles), Elwood (3 miles) and Bear River City (4 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Coldwater Canyon WMA closed?
Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April, by DWR's listing for the area. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Coldwater Canyon WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Box Elder County.
How much public land is around Coldwater Canyon WMA?
48.5% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (14,332 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Coldwater Canyon WMA in?
The Cache general-season deer unit, by DWR's 2026 boundaries. Hunting on the WMA follows that unit's seasons and DWR's rules for the property.
Get a Utah hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Utah are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Utah included.
Sources: DWR property data, DWR's WMA page, DWR unit boundaries, UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). FilledTag is not part of DWR.