Lower San Rafael River WMA: hunting, access and rules
Lower San Rafael River WMA is a 4,258-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Emery County, in DWR's Southeastern Region, managed for native fish habitat, upland game. DWR's seasonal closure: Hatt's Ranch is closed to public from October 1 to March 31. Within 3 miles of it, 94.8% 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.
BLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landState sovereign land (lake and river beds)Lower San Rafael River WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 4,258 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Emery |
| DWR region | Southeastern Region |
| Managed for | Native fish habitat, upland game |
| Seasonal closure | Hatt's Ranch is closed to public from October 1 to March 31 |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1994 |
| Nearest towns | Green River (13 mi) |
| A point inside it | 38.7687, -110.1293 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Lower San Rafael River WMA?
Seasonal closure: Hatt's Ranch is closed to public from October 1 to March 31. No rifle hunting on Hatt's Ranch, motorized vehicles on existing roads only. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Lower San Rafael River under its habitat management plan of 2016.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Lower San Rafael River WMA in?
Lower San Rafael River 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% |
| San Rafael, Desert | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| San Rafael, Dirty Devil | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 87% |
| San Rafael, South | once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep | 13% |
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 Lower San Rafael River WMA?
Fish, deer, pronghorn, pheasant, rabbit, turkey, small mammals, raptors.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Lower San Rafael River WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 94.8% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (82,604 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 82,604 | 84% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 10,506 | 10.7% |
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 728 | 0.7% |
| DWR wildlife land | 94 | 0.1% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 3 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 4,427 | 4.5% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
How do you get to Lower San Rafael River WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 50 and I-70. Nearest towns: Green River (13 miles). DWR also lists it under the older name Hatt/Frenchman/Chaffin/Fuller/Thaler Ranch.
Questions hunters ask
When is Lower San Rafael River WMA closed?
Hatt's Ranch is closed to public from October 1 to March 31, by DWR's listing for the area. No rifle hunting on Hatt's Ranch, motorized vehicles on existing roads only.
Do you need a permit to enter Lower San Rafael River WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Emery County.
How much public land is around Lower San Rafael River WMA?
94.8% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (82,604 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Lower San Rafael River WMA in?
The Manti/San Rafael 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.