Unit East Canyon

Key reference points include East Canyon Reservoir and Mountain Dell Reservoir for water and orientation, The Hogsback and Hogback Summit for ridgeline navigation, and Mount Van Cott for high-country glassing. Big Mountain Pass and The Narrows serve as natural terrain features marking drainages. Sessions Mountains anchors the northern country.

These landmarks help orient hunters in dense timber and assist with planning approach routes to private land access points.

Terrain spans from lower foothills near 4,200 feet up through rolling sagebrush benches into timbered ridges reaching nearly 9,700 feet. Dense forest dominates higher elevations—ponderosa and Douglas fir mixed with aspen on north aspects—while lower slopes transition from sagebrush into scattered pine and juniper. The elevation spread creates distinct habitat zones, but the moderate median elevation means most productive country sits in the mixed forest-sagebrush transition where public access is most restricted.

Extensive road networks crisscross the unit serving adjacent towns and subdivisions, but nearly all usable hunting ground is private. The Connected access badge reflects infrastructure rather than public opportunity—roads primarily serve developed areas and private ranch access. Proximity to Salt Lake City and Ogden creates consistent hunting pressure on any accessible land.

Hunters need written landowner permission before applying and should contact the Ogden DWR office for current access information.

East Canyon comprises portions of Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, and Summit counties, bounded by I-80 to the south and east, I-15 to the west, and I-84 to the north—essentially the Wasatch front wedge between Ogden and Salt Lake City. The unit captures a transitional zone where urban development meets foothill country, creating a patchwork of private ranches, subdivisions, and small public tracts. This proximity to major population centers defines access patterns and hunting pressure.

Multiple small reservoirs—East Canyon, Mountain Dell, Mount Olivet, Pleasant Valley, and several others—provide water infrastructure across the unit. Natural drainages include City Creek, Mill Creek, and Davis Creek as primary watercourses, with numerous smaller springs scattered throughout. Despite moderate precipitation at higher elevations, reliable water for hunting is concentrated around reservoirs and established creek systems rather than consistently available across open country.

The unit historically supports elk, mule deer, and mountain goat in higher terrain, with pronghorn, moose, and bighorn sheep in suitable habitat. Dense forest and rolling topography favor stalking and glassing from ridges rather than long-range spotting. Early season hunting targets higher-elevation meadows and aspen groves as animals move up after summer heat.

The private land barrier makes this unit accessible primarily to hunters with landowner connections or those willing to extensively research access options. Mountain terrain requires good physical conditioning and navigation skills even with permission.