Unit 60A-2X

Split Rock stands as a prominent navigation landmark in the central unit. The Grassy Ridge complex, including Big Grassy Ridge and Little Grassy Ridge, offers excellent glassing terrain with open slopes. Hansen Basin and Egin Bench provide navigable reference points.

Notable volcanic features include Beacon Butte, Butte Crater, and Morgan Crater—useful for orientation across the relatively open country. Hamer Lake and Gardner Lake serve as water reference points, while Rattlesnake Creek and the Teton River corridors are primary drainage navigation routes through the unit.

Terrain spans lower elevation country from about 4,800 feet in the valley bottoms to 6,600 feet on the higher ridges and buttes. Most of the unit sits in the 5,000 to 6,500-foot band where sagebrush dominates the flats and benches, with scattered juniper and low-density conifer appearing on the higher slopes and ridgetops. The North and South Junipers ranges anchor the upper terrain.

Habitat transitions from open sagebrush plains through juniper woodland to sparse ponderosa and mixed conifer on the highest ground. The volcanic features—buttes and craters—create natural vantage points and thermal cover variation.

Over 1,350 miles of roads connect the unit and surrounding communities, making this relatively accessible country despite limited public land. Rexburg and Idaho Falls are primary staging areas with easy access via Highways 33 and 91. The well-connected road system supports general vehicle access, but private agricultural lands limit hunter placement. Moderate pressure expected during early season near road-accessible ridges and benches.

Solitude increases away from the major drainages and toward the eastern higher ridges. Late-season concentrate hunting near creeks and the few reliable water sources where elk congregate.

Unit 60A-2X encompasses portions of Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, and Madison counties in southeastern Idaho, bounded by Spencer to the north and Idaho Falls to the south. The unit stretches from the Rexburg area eastward and is defined by Interstate 15 on the western edge, State Highway 33 to the north, and Old Highway 91 running through the middle. This is agricultural transition country where valley farming communities meet sagebrush uplands and volcanic ridges.

The landscape sits between the Snake River plain and the higher mountain terrain to the east.

Water is limited and concentrated in specific drainages. Rattlesnake Creek (both East and West forks) and Threemile Creek provide the most reliable flows, with the Teton River and South Teton River running through lower sections. Warm Slough and Corral Creek offer seasonal or intermittent water.

Hamer Lake, Gardner Lake, and several reservoirs provide static water in restricted areas. Much of the irrigated terrain means canal systems (Salem Union Canal, Egin Canal, Saint Anthony Canal) provide water near agricultural lands, but open sagebrush country relies on springs and creek bottoms. Early season requires mapping water carefully; late season concentrates elk near perennial flows.

This is elk country spanning sagebrush to juniper-forest transition zones. Early season hunting focuses on glassing the open ridges and benches—Grassy Ridge, Beacon Butte area, and scattered higher ground—where elk move into juniper cover during heat. Rut hunting uses creeks and drainages where bulls concentrate.

Late season pushes elk toward reliable water: Rattlesnake Creek corridors and lower Teton River drainages become primary. The sparse forest and open terrain favor spotting-and-stalking over timber hunting. Elevation and vegetation suggest early migration patterns down to mid-elevation benches as temperature changes.

Limited public access means scouting private land relationships before the season; success depends on understanding which terrain pieces are accessible and where elk transition between public and private ground.