Gordon Creek WMA: hunting, access and rules
Gordon Creek WMA is a 15,601-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Carbon County, in DWR's Southeastern Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR's seasonal closure: No motorized vehicles on non-county roads from December 1 -April 15. Within 3 miles of it, 65.9% of the land is public, mostly BLM.
Data updated October 2026. Property facts: DWR's public access properties layer. Units: DWR's 2026 boundaries. Land around it: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landState park (park rules)Gordon Creek WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 15,601 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Carbon |
| DWR region | Southeastern Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | No motorized vehicles on non-county roads from December 1 -April 15 |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1960 |
| Nearest towns | Helper (4 mi), Price (6 mi) and Scofield (7 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.6297, -111.0177 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Gordon Creek WMA?
Seasonal closure: No motorized vehicles on non-county roads from December 1 -April 15. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Gordon Creek under its habitat management plan of 2022.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Gordon Creek WMA in?
Gordon Creek WMA lies in 4 units with a page of their own; on the Manti/San Rafael general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 2,518 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Manti/San Rafael | general-season deer | 100% |
| Manti | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| San Rafael, North | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 76% |
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | 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 Gordon Creek WMA?
Bobcat, Chukar, Cottontail Rabbit, Coyote, Jackrabbit/Hare, Mountain Lion, Mourning Dove, Mule Deer, Ring-necked Pheasant, Rocky Mountain Elk, Turkey, White-tailed Prairie Dog.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Gordon Creek WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 65.9% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (29,559 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 29,559 | 32.4% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 16,983 | 18.6% |
| National forest | 13,389 | 14.7% |
| DWR wildlife land | 129 | 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 31,040 | 34.1% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Gordon Creek WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Lower Fish Creek WMA (2,028 acres, 11 miles north), Starvation WMA (8,022 acres, 18 miles northwest), Huntington Game Farm WMA (324 acres, 19 miles south), Desert Lake WMA (2,801 acres, 22 miles southeast) and Horse Ridge WMA (14,283 acres, 25 miles north).
How do you get to Gordon Creek WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 6 and US 191. Nearest towns: Helper (4 miles), Price (6 miles), Scofield (7 miles) and Wellington (10 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Gordon Creek WMA closed?
No motorized vehicles on non-county roads from December 1 -April 15, by DWR's listing for the area. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Gordon Creek WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Carbon County.
How much public land is around Gordon Creek WMA?
65.9% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (29,559 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Gordon Creek WMA in?
The Manti/San Rafael general-season deer unit and the Manti limited-entry elk 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.