Nephi Canyon WMA: hunting, access and rules
Nephi Canyon WMA is a 2,106-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Juab County, in DWR's Central Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR's seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. Within 3 miles of it, 53.4% 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 landNephi Canyon WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 2,106 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Juab |
| DWR region | Central Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | Closed December 1 to April 30 |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1955 |
| Nearest towns | Nephi (2 mi), Mona (4 mi) and Fountain Green (6 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.7219, -111.7495 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Nephi Canyon WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Nephi Canyon under its habitat management plan of 2024.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Nephi Canyon WMA in?
Nephi 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 Nephi Canyon WMA?
Mule deer, elk, white-tailed and black-tailed jackrabbit, golden eagle, bear, cougar and coyote, dusky grouse, Rio Grande turkey, cottontail rabbit, mourning dove, neotropical migratory birds, sagabrush and mountainbrush habitats, short-eared owl.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Nephi Canyon WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 53.4% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (24,225 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 24,225 | 43.5% |
| DWR wildlife land | 2,999 | 5.4% |
| BLM | 1,996 | 3.6% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 496 | 0.9% |
| Private and other land not shown | 25,979 | 46.6% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Nephi Canyon WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Triangle Ranch WMA (2,840 acres, 3 miles southwest), Nephi WMA (152 acres, 7 miles west), Burraston Ponds WMA (140 acres, 8 miles northwest), Mona Bench WMA (2,086 acres, 9 miles north), Mona WMA (103 acres, 9 miles northwest) and Big Hollow WMA (825 acres, 10 miles southeast).
How do you get to Nephi Canyon WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: I-15. Nearest towns: Nephi (2 miles), Mona (4 miles), Fountain Green (6 miles) and Levan (11 miles). DWR also lists it under the older names Salt Creek WMA, Salt Creek Juab, Hop Creek WMA.
Questions hunters ask
When is Nephi Canyon WMA closed?
Closed December 1 to April 30, by DWR's listing for the area. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Nephi Canyon WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Juab County.
How much public land is around Nephi Canyon WMA?
53.4% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (24,225 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Nephi 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.