Horse Ridge WMA: hunting, access and rules
Horse Ridge WMA is a 14,283-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Duchesne and Wasatch counties, in DWR's Northeastern Region, managed for big game habitat. DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for it. Within 3 miles of it, 73% 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 forestBLMDWR wildlife landTribal land (tribe's rules)Horse Ridge WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 14,283 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Duchesne, Wasatch |
| DWR region | Northeastern Region |
| Managed for | Big game habitat |
| Seasonal closure | None listed by DWR |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1956 |
| Nearest towns | Helper (17 mi), Scofield (19 mi) and Price (23 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.9667, -110.8618 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Horse 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 Horse Ridge under its habitat management plan of 1998.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Horse Ridge WMA in?
Horse Ridge WMA lies in 3 units with a page of their own; on the Wasatch Mountains, East general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 1,658 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Wasatch Mountains, East | general-season deer | 100% |
| Wasatch Mountains | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| 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 Horse Ridge WMA?
Sagebrush, mountain brush, deer, elk.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Horse Ridge WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 73% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (46,729 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 46,729 | 73% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 7,492 | 11.7% |
| DWR wildlife land | 7 | under 0.1% |
| BLM | 1 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 9,796 | 15.3% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Horse Ridge WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Strawberry River WMA (22,929 acres, 11 miles northwest), Lake Canyon WMA (7,586 acres, 14 miles east), Wildcat WMA (6,809 acres, 16 miles north), Lower Fish Creek WMA (2,028 acres, 16 miles southwest), Currant Creek WMA (14,977 acres, 18 miles north) and Skitzy WMA (5,198 acres, 19 miles northeast).
How do you get to Horse Ridge WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 191 and US 6. Nearest towns: Helper (17 miles), Scofield (19 miles), Price (23 miles) and Tabiona (24 miles). DWR also lists it under the older names Avintaquin WMA, Cottonwood WMA, Lake Canyon.
Questions hunters ask
When is Horse Ridge WMA closed?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for Horse Ridge WMA. Its rules: Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Horse Ridge WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Duchesne and Wasatch counties.
How much public land is around Horse Ridge WMA?
73% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (46,729 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Horse Ridge WMA in?
The Wasatch Mountains, East general-season deer unit and the Wasatch Mountains 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.