Sunlight Basin Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Sunlight Basin Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 1,410 acres in WGFD's Cody Region, Park County. Wildlife Habitat Management Areas are lands WGFD manages for wildlife habitat and public hunting and fishing access. WGFD lists elk (hunt area 51), deer (hunt area 106), moose (hunt area 11) and bighorn sheep (hunt areas 1, 2) for big game hunting here.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: WGFD's WHMA data, updated 10/12/2026. Boundary: WGFD GIS. Harvest: WGFD reports to 2025.
National forestSunlight Basin WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,410 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
| County | Park |
| Access dates | This area opens to full access at 8:00 am May 1 - December 16. |
| Seasonal closure | NO UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN PRESENCE December 16 - 8:00 AM May 1 |
| Big game listed | Elk, Deer, Moose and Bighorn sheep |
| Facilities | Handicap Accessible Comfort Station |
| Nearest towns | Cody (27 mi) |
What are the rules on Sunlight Basin WHMA?
Access: This area opens to full access at 8:00 am May 1 - December 16.
Exceptions: Open year-round to foot access for fishing along Sunlight Creek.
Seasonal closure: NO UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN PRESENCE December 16 - 8:00 AM May 1.
Area regulations: 14 day camping limit.
WGFD lists these uses: Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Hiking, Trapping, Wildlife Viewing.
In WGFD's words, from its WHMA data. WGFD's posted signs and its Chapter 23 rules for Commission lands are the final word.
What can you hunt on Sunlight Basin WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in area 51; deer in area 106; moose in area 11; bighorn sheep in areas 1 and 2. Also listed: waterfowl, pheasant, sandhill crane, doves, partridge, turkey, rabbit, mountain lion, black bear and mountain grouse.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Sunlight Basin WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Sunlight Basin WHMA, with the acres of the WHMA in each and WGFD's latest harvest for the whole hunt area:
| Hunt area | WHMA acres in it | Harvest, whole area | Hunter success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Area 51 | 1,410 | 120 (2025) | 42.7% |
| Deer Area 106 | 1,410 | 228 (2025) | |
| Moose Area 11 | 1,410 | 5 (2025) | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 1 | 1,097 | 12 (2025) | 85.7% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 2 | 314 | 25 (2025) | 89.3% |
Harvest: WGFD harvest reports, latest year each area was reported (WGFD harvest reports). Acres measured by FilledTag from WGFD's boundaries.
What land is around Sunlight Basin WHMA?
Inside the WHMA boundary, by manager (WGFD's own holdings and leases are not in the federal and state layers, so they show as unlisted land):
| Manager | Acres inside |
|---|---|
| National forest | 1 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 1,409 |
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land) inside WGFD's boundary (1,410 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Sunlight Basin WHMA?
Highways within 8 miles: WY 296. Nearest towns: Cody (27 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Sunlight Basin WHMA open?
This area opens to full access at 8:00 am May 1 - December 16. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: NO UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN PRESENCE December 16 - 8:00 AM May 1.
What can you hunt on Sunlight Basin WHMA?
WGFD lists elk, deer, moose and bighorn sheep for big game, and waterfowl, pheasant, sandhill crane, doves, partridge, turkey, rabbit, mountain lion, black bear and mountain grouse. Each species follows the season of the hunt area the ground is in.
What are the rules on Sunlight Basin WHMA?
14 day camping limit.
Where is Sunlight Basin WHMA?
About 27 miles from Cody, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Sunlight Basin WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 51 and deer Area 106. Each hunt area's season applies to the ground inside it.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area facts, access dates, rules and species: WGFD Wildlife Habitat Management Area details.
- Boundary: WGFD Wildlife Habitat Management Area boundaries. Surrounding land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land).
- Hunt area harvest: WGFD harvest reports, 2021 to 2025.
FilledTag is not part of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Numbers are copied from WGFD and the other agencies named, or measured by FilledTag from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag. WGFD's regulations are the final word on every rule.
Wyoming hunting Cody Region Elk Area 51 Deer Area 106 Moose Area 11 Bighorn sheep Area 1 Bighorn sheep Area 2