Unit 500

Use Mount Silverheels and Boreas Mountain as major reference points for high-country navigation and glassing. The Continental Divide corridor along the northern boundary serves as both a physical landmark and migration route. Key water features—Jefferson Lake, Baker Lake, and the Michigan Reservoir system—provide reliable navigation aids and hunting season water sources.

Creeks including Buckskin, Silverheels, and Johnson offer tributary corridors for drainage-based hunting. Old French Pass and Red Hill Pass mark notable saddle terrain worth investigating during rut seasons.

The entire unit sits above 9,000 feet, with peaks pushing toward 14,000 feet at the higher summits. This is firmly high-country terrain—rolling ridges and valleys threaded through moderate forest with consistent open parks and grassland benches. Aspens and spruce-fir dominate where timber stands exist, but significant acreage remains open or lightly timbered, creating productive glassing country.

The elevation band supports classic Colorado alpine and subalpine habitat, with seasonal movement between high summer range and lower elk beds as weather shifts.

The 284 miles of road network provides connected access throughout the unit, with logical entry points near Jefferson, Como, and Alma. This accessibility means consistent hunter presence, particularly near parking areas and on weekends. However, the rolling terrain and moderate forest create plenty of space to escape crowds by moving off primary ridges and into side drainages.

Elk and deer respond to pressure by moving to steeper, timbered pockets—a challenge on terrain this open, but hunters willing to work sidecountry will find quieter country.

GMU 500 occupies a well-defined block in Park County's high country, bounded north by the Continental Divide—Colorado's major watershed divide—and south by U.S. 285. The East Fork of the South Platte River forms the eastern boundary, with Colorado 9 marking the western edge near Como and Alma. This creates a natural, compact hunting area positioned on Colorado's backbone terrain. The unit's moderate size and clear boundaries make navigation straightforward for hunters unfamiliar with the region.

Despite the high-elevation designation, water is present but requires strategic planning. Multiple reservoirs (Jefferson Lake, Baker Reservoir, Michigan Lakes complex) and perennial streams (Buckskin Creek, Silverheels Creek, Johnson Creek, North and South Tarryall creeks) provide reliable water through hunting season. The South Platte North Fork's eastern boundary offers additional water access.

In early season, high-country seeps and springs scattered across the parks supplement creek systems. Later in fall, water concentration forces game patterns into predictable drainage corridors—key to late-season success.

GMU 500 supports strong elk and mule deer populations across its high-elevation habitat. Early season favors the open parks and ridges where animals feed in the cool mornings before seeking shade in scattered timber. Glassing from high vantage points—Boreas Mountain, Silverheels, Jefferson Hill—works well for spotting bulls and bucks in open country.

Drainage hunting through Buckskin, Silverheels, and Johnson Creek systems produces consistent opportunities. As weather pushes game lower, concentrate on the lower-elevation timber pockets and park transitions. Moose occupy wetter ground near the Michigan Lakes and reservoir systems.

Rut activity intensifies opportunity mid-September through October across ridge and drainage systems.