Loafer Mountain WMA: hunting, access and rules
Loafer Mountain WMA is a 12,355-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Utah County, in DWR's Central Region, managed for big game habitat. DWR's seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. Within 3 miles of it, 36.6% 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 forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landLoafer Mountain WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 12,355 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Utah |
| DWR region | Central Region |
| Managed for | Big game habitat |
| Seasonal closure | Closed December 1 to April 30 |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1973 |
| Nearest towns | Woodland Hills (next to it), Elk Ridge (2 mi) and Salem (2 mi) |
| A point inside it | 40.0252, -111.6022 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Loafer Mountain WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. No public motorized access to the WMA across adjacent private lands. Anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit to enter.
DWR runs Loafer Mountain under its habitat management plan.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Loafer Mountain WMA in?
Loafer Mountain WMA lies in 5 units with a page of their own; on the Nebo general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 1,417 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Nebo | general-season deer | 99% |
| Nebo/San Pitch Mountains | limited-entry bull elk | 99% |
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 99% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 99% |
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 Loafer Mountain WMA?
Winter and summer habitat for mule deer, elk and other wildlife, Black Bear, Blue grouse, Bobcat, Chukar, Cottontail Rabbit, Coyote, Mountain Lion, Mourning Dove, Mule Deer, Raptors, Rocky Mountain Elk, Songbirds, Turkey.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Loafer Mountain WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 36.6% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (21,960 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 21,960 | 35.4% |
| BLM | 427 | 0.7% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 159 | 0.3% |
| DWR wildlife land | 156 | 0.3% |
| Private and other land not shown | 39,297 | 63.4% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Loafer Mountain WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Diamond Fork WMA (170 acres, 6 miles east), Birdseye WMA (998 acres, 7 miles southeast), Lake Fork WMA (2,765 acres, 7 miles southeast), Hobble Creek WMA (523 acres, 9 miles north), Santaquin WMA (4,851 acres, 13 miles southwest) and Spencer Fork WMA (7,488 acres, 13 miles south).
How do you get to Loafer Mountain WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: I-15, US 6, US 89, UT 147 and UT 77. Nearest towns: Woodland Hills (next to it), Elk Ridge (2 miles), Salem (2 miles) and Spanish Fork (3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Loafer Mountain WMA closed?
Closed December 1 to April 30, by DWR's listing for the area. No public motorized access to the WMA across adjacent private lands.
Do you need a permit to enter Loafer Mountain WMA?
Anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit to enter, by DWR's 2026 listing for Utah County.
How much public land is around Loafer Mountain WMA?
36.6% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (21,960 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Loafer Mountain WMA in?
The Nebo general-season deer unit and the Nebo/San Pitch 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.