Unit Plateau, Barney Top/kaiparowits (Plateau, Barney Top/Kaiparowits)

Utah Hunting Guide — Elk

The Plateau, Barney Top/Kaiparowits elk subunit spans the high plateaus south of Escalante — Barney Top, Canaan Peak, the Table Cliff — down into the Kaiparowits Plateau in Garfield and Kane counties. This is remote, lightly hunted country straddling Dixie National Forest and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. UDWR logged 364 applicants for 36 tags over three years. We treat this as an underrated trophy elk unit — big country, real bulls, and low pressure once you get off UT-12.

View Draw Odds Utah Hunting Guide

Elk Hunting in Unit Plateau, Barney Top/kaiparowits

Where to Find Elk on Barney Top/Kaiparowits

Elk on this subunit use classic plateau-country migration — summering on high aspen-spruce ridges, dropping into transition pinyon-juniper as snow moves in.

Barney Top Aspens

The aspen-spruce country along Barney Top at 9,000 feet holds bulls through archery. Glass the meadow edges at daylight.

Canaan Peak Ridges

Canaan Peak and the ridges east hold bulls that filter down during the rut. Calling works well in the open aspen.

Kaiparowits Rim

By rifle season, a portion of the herd moves onto the lower benches of the Kaiparowits Plateau. Access is limited but elk densities hold up through snow.

How to Hunt Elk on Barney Top/Kaiparowits

Treat Barney Top as a scouting-heavy unit. The road network is limited and the best areas require boots.

Archery — Call the Aspens

The aspen stringers along the Barney Top rim are classic calling setups. Locate bugles before dawn, move tight, and let a cow call seal the deal.

Muzzleloader and Rifle — Glass the Transitions

Later hunts favor glassing the aspen-pinyon transition at 8,000 to 9,000 feet. Wind is usually workable, and bulls are visible once they start moving mid-morning.

Kaiparowits Access Plan

If you plan to hunt the Kaiparowits side, scout road conditions in August. Wet clay roads shut the plateau down fast.

Water Patterns

Springs along Barney Top and Pine Creek concentrate elk in dry years. Mark water on your map — it is the anchor point for the whole unit.

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Elk Success Rates

Archery18%

Rifle28%

Barney Top/Kaiparowits success runs 50 to 65% for any-weapon, 30 to 40% for muzzleloader, and 20 to 30% for archery in recent UDWR harvest summaries. Bulls here average 5.5 to 6.5 years old, with 340-plus bulls regular in the harvest.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Archery— Limited Entry	9	44	20.5%	23
Rifle— Limited Entry	9	42	21.4%	1

Data from 2023 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Utah's weighted bonus-point lottery splits tags 50/50 between max-points and random-weighted pools. With 364 applicants for 36 tags over three years, headline odds land near 10%. Residents in the 6 to 10-bonus-point range see real odds; non-residents need materially more.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Calf Creek and other UT-12 campgrounds accommodate trailers. No RV facilities on Kaiparowits.

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Camp Sites

Forest Service developed sites along UT-12. Dispersed camping throughout. Kaiparowits is dispersed only.

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Water

Good on Barney Top (springs and creeks). Poor on Kaiparowits — pack water.

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Road Conditions

UT-12 paved through the core. Hell's Backbone Road is gravel and passable when dry. Kaiparowits roads are rough 4WD only.

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Terrain Difficulty

Moderate to strenuous. Elevation swings from 6,000 to 10,000 feet. Kaiparowits side adds remoteness.

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Hunting Pressure

Low. Barney Top sees moderate traffic from other recreationists but hunter pressure is minimal. Kaiparowits is empty.

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Weather

September hunts can see brief snow at elevation. October brings real fall weather. Kaiparowits roads shut fast when wet.

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Cell Service

Usable in Escalante. None in the forest interior or on Kaiparowits.

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Nearest Town

Escalante for UT-12 access; Tropic and Cannonville at the west side; Big Water and Kanab for Kaiparowits side.

Note: If you plan Kaiparowits, carry recovery gear and two spare tires. This is one of Utah's most remote elk hunts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Barney Top a backcountry hunt?

Yes, on the Kaiparowits side. The Barney Top/Canaan Peak side has workable forest road access; the Kaiparowits Plateau is roadless in stretches and requires planning.

How do I choose between Barney Top and the Kaiparowits?

Early-season hunters do better on Barney Top's aspens during the rut. Late-season any-weapon hunters can benefit from snow-pushed bulls dropping toward the Kaiparowits benches.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

Utah Elk Hunting — Plateau subunit overview — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Plateau, Barney Top/Kaiparowits is a limited-entry bull elk subunit, Hunts offered in archery, muzzleloader, and any-weapon formats · accessed 2026-04-17
2025 Utah Big Game Field Regulations Guidebook — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources · supports: Elk drawn through weighted bonus-point lottery with 50% max-points and 50% random-weighted pools, Barney Top subunit boundary uses UT-12, Hell's Backbone Road, and the Kaiparowits Plateau rim · accessed 2026-04-17
Escalante Ranger District — Barney Top and Canaan Peak access — USDA Forest Service — Dixie National Forest · supports: Barney Top lies within Dixie National Forest, Hell's Backbone Road provides primary access to upper elevations · accessed 2026-04-17