Maple Canyon WMA: hunting, access and rules
Maple Canyon WMA is a 1,160-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Sanpete County, in DWR's Central Region, managed for big game, winter range. DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for it. Within 3 miles of it, 42.4% 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 landMilitary land (closed)Maple Canyon WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,160 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Sanpete |
| DWR region | Central Region |
| Managed for | Big game, winter range |
| Seasonal closure | None listed by DWR |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1968 |
| Nearest towns | Manti (4 mi), Sterling (6 mi) and Ephraim (8 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.3012, -111.7241 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Maple Canyon 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 Maple Canyon under its habitat management plan of 2025.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Maple Canyon WMA in?
Maple Canyon 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 | 100% |
| Nebo/San Pitch Mountains | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 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 Maple Canyon WMA?
Mule deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, furbearers (bobcat, etc), upland game, raptors, neotropical migratory birds and small mammals.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Maple Canyon WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 42.4% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (11,575 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 11,575 | 37.2% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 1,641 | 5.3% |
| Military land (closed) | 40 | 0.1% |
| DWR wildlife land | 5 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 17,890 | 57.4% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Maple Canyon WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Manti Meadows WMA (469 acres, 5 miles southeast), Six Mile WMA (2,782 acres, 7 miles southeast), Manti Face WMA (2,536 acres, 7 miles east), Nine Mile WMA (2,500 acres, 9 miles south), Bald Mountain WMA (2,562 acres, 10 miles east) and Black Hill WMA (2,159 acres, 11 miles northeast).
How do you get to Maple Canyon WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 89. Nearest towns: Manti (4 miles), Sterling (6 miles), Ephraim (8 miles) and Fayette (8 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Maple Canyon WMA closed?
DWR lists no seasonal closure dates for Maple Canyon WMA. Its rules: Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Maple Canyon WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Sanpete County.
How much public land is around Maple Canyon WMA?
42.4% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (11,575 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Maple Canyon 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.