Santaquin WMA: hunting, access and rules
Santaquin WMA is a 4,851-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Juab and Utah counties, 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, 48.7% 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 landBureau of ReclamationOther public land (highways, other state land)Santaquin WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 4,851 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Juab, Utah |
| 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 | 1970 |
| Nearest towns | Rocky Ridge (next to it), Santaquin (next to it) and Goshen (5 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.9220, -111.7983 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Santaquin WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. On parts of this WMA, anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit.
DWR runs Santaquin under its habitat management plan of 2024.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Santaquin WMA in?
Santaquin 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 Santaquin 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 Santaquin WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 48.7% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (19,760 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 19,760 | 42.4% |
| DWR wildlife land | 1,650 | 3.5% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 705 | 1.5% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 457 | 1% |
| BLM | 89 | 0.2% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 22 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 23,878 | 51.3% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Santaquin WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: West Hills WMA (774 acres, 3 miles west), Mona Bench WMA (2,086 acres, 6 miles south), Burraston Ponds WMA (140 acres, 9 miles south), Mona WMA (103 acres, 9 miles southwest), Nephi WMA (152 acres, 12 miles south) and Spencer Fork WMA (7,488 acres, 13 miles southeast).
How do you get to Santaquin WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: I-15, US 6, UT 147 and UT 115. Nearest towns: Rocky Ridge (next to it), Santaquin (next to it), Goshen (5 miles) and Genola (5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Santaquin 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 Santaquin WMA?
On parts of this WMA, anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit, by DWR's 2026 listing for Juab and Utah counties.
How much public land is around Santaquin WMA?
48.7% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (19,760 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Santaquin 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.