Unit 13A

The Uinkaret and Kanab Plateaus provide primary orientation across rolling terrain. Mount Trumbull (8,041 feet) stands as the dominant landmark for navigation. Volcanic features including Vulcans Throne, Chimney Rock, and Elephants Foot offer distinctive glassing positions.

The Vermilion Cliffs form a dramatic eastern escarpment. The Colorado River and Kanab Creek provide linear reference features. Key basins like Scotts Hole, White Pocket, and Potato Valley break the plateau monotony and offer concentrated water and habitat.

Cold Spring Wash and Whitmore Wash serve as major drainage corridors for navigation and animal movement.

Terrain spans from low desert valley bottoms near 1,600 feet to volcanic summits above 8,000 feet, creating distinct habitat zones. Low elevations support sagebrush flats and scattered juniper, while mid-elevation slopes transition into ponderosa-tinged ridges and mixed conifer stands. Upper elevations feature volcanic peaks like Mount Trumbull and Vulcans Throne with ponderosa-dominated habitat.

The volcanic geology creates unique terrain—cinder cones, lava flows, and ash fields interspersed with grassland pockets. Sparse forest coverage across the unit means open country dominates, with timber concentrated on higher ridges and south-facing drainages.

Over 1,200 miles of roads exist but most are rough BLM tracks requiring high-clearance or 4WD vehicles. Mohave County Road 5 (Mt. Trumbull Road) and BLM Road 1045 form primary arteries.

Fair road connectivity is deceiving—actual travel is slow over corrugated surfaces. Low public pressure due to remoteness means most accessible areas see minimal hunting, though main drainages receive seasonal traffic. Staging from Mt.

Trumbull, Moccasin, or Colorado City lengthens approaches but avoids frontcountry crowds. The barrier to entry—rough roads and water scarcity—naturally concentrates pressure where it exists.

Unit 13A occupies the Arizona Strip between the Utah state line and the Colorado River, bounded west by Hurricane Rim and south by the Colorado River confluence with Kanab Creek. The unit encompasses roughly 1,200 miles of road network across vast sagebrush plateaus and volcanic highlands. Town access includes Fredonia, AZ and Marble Canyon to the south, with Mt.

Trumbull and Moccasin serving as staging points. The Kaibab Band of Paiute tribal lands create excluded pockets within the unit. This remote region sits at the edge of the Grand Canyon ecosystem, far from major population centers and characterized by isolation and minimal infrastructure.

Water is the limiting factor in this arid unit. The Colorado River and Kanab Creek provide perennial flows along the southern boundary but see limited use. Most hunting relies on scattered tanks and ponds—Cold Spring Wash Pond, Toroweap Lake, and RCA Pond anchor water-dependent hunting strategies.

Springs exist but are sparse and seasonal: Burnt Corral Spring, Red Cliff Spring, Whitmore Spring, and Sand Spring warrant scouting. Cold Spring Wash, Whitmore Wash, and Robinson Wash flow seasonally. Extended hunts require pre-scouting water locations and carrying capacity for dry stretches across the plateau.

Unit 13A holds elk in forested ridge country and upper elevation basins, responding to seasonal monsoon water and acorn production. Pronghorn and mule deer inhabit sagebrush flats and volcanic benches year-round. Desert bighorn concentrate on Kanab Creek and Colorado River corridors—glassing from distance across rimrock.

Mountain lions prey on mule deer in juniper draws. Javelina occupy lower elevation washes. Early season emphasis pronghorn and mule deer on open country; rut season targets elk migration through ridge systems.

Late season concentrates animals near remaining water. Success requires water knowledge and willingness to access rough country far from trailheads. Glassing distances are deceptive—terrain breaks dictate stalk approaches.