Cottonwood Ridge WMA: hunting, access and rules
Cottonwood Ridge WMA is a 6,751-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Duchesne County, in DWR's Northeastern Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for it. Within 3 miles of it, 0% of the land is public, mostly DWR wildlife land.
Data updated October 2026. Property facts: DWR's public access properties layer. Units: DWR's 2026 boundaries. Land around it: UGRC, 2023.
DWR wildlife landTribal land (tribe's rules)State park (park rules)Other public land (highways, other state land)Cottonwood Ridge WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 6,751 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Duchesne |
| DWR region | Northeastern Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | None listed by DWR |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1970 |
| Nearest towns | Duchesne (5 mi), Myton (16 mi) and Altamont (19 mi) |
| A point inside it | 40.0718, -110.4061 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Cottonwood Ridge WMA?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Cottonwood Ridge under its habitat management plan of 1998.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Cottonwood Ridge WMA in?
Cottonwood Ridge WMA lies in 3 units with a page of their own; on the Nine Mile general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 402 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Nine Mile | general-season deer | 100% |
| Nine Mile, Anthro-Myton Bench | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| Nine Mile, Jack Creek | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 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 Cottonwood Ridge WMA?
Pinyon-juniper, sagebrush, deer, elk.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Cottonwood Ridge WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 0% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it DWR wildlife land (3 acres). Tribal land (tribe's rules) covers 69.8% of the ring (39,176 acres); it is not counted above, and its own rules apply.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 39,176 | 69.8% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 31 | 0.1% |
| DWR wildlife land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 16,881 | 30.1% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Cottonwood Ridge WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Skitzy WMA (5,198 acres, 8 miles west), Rabbit Gulch WMA (9,198 acres, 12 miles northwest), Lake Canyon WMA (7,586 acres, 12 miles west), Kevin Conway WMA (268 acres, 21 miles east), Tabby Mountain WMA (50,226 acres, 23 miles northwest) and Horse Ridge WMA (14,283 acres, 25 miles west).
How do you get to Cottonwood Ridge WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 191 and US 40. Nearest towns: Duchesne (5 miles), Myton (16 miles), Altamont (19 miles) and Tabiona (23 miles). DWR also lists it under the older names Avintaquin WMA, Indian Canyon, Cottonwood WMA.
Questions hunters ask
When is Cottonwood Ridge WMA closed?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for Cottonwood Ridge WMA. Its rules: Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Cottonwood Ridge WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Duchesne County.
How much public land is around Cottonwood Ridge WMA?
0% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it DWR wildlife land (3 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Cottonwood Ridge WMA in?
The Nine Mile 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.