GMU 55 Colorado Elk Hunt — Gunnison National Forest | Guided Archery, Muzzleloader & Rifle

GMU 55 Colorado Elk Hunt — Taylor Park & Collegiate Peaks Wilderness

GMU 55 Colorado Elk Hunt — Taylor Park & Collegiate Peaks Wilderness

At 10,000 feet in Taylor Park, deep in the Gunnison National Forest, sits a base camp that has been putting elk hunters into bugling bulls since 1984. From here you’ll hunt nearly 360,000 acres of classic Colorado high country — dark timber, aspen pockets, alpine basins, and the rugged edges of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness — ranging from 8,000 feet to over 13,000 feet. Add roughly 2,000 acres of private land with established stands and blinds, and you have one of the most complete elk hunting operations in GMU 55.

This is a hunt you can build around the way you hunt. Chase screaming September bulls with a bow, catch the peak of the rut with a muzzleloader, or wait for first rifle season in October when the bulls are recovering on predictable feed patterns. Between the country, the decades of local knowledge, and shot-opportunity rates that run from 70% to 90% depending on the season, GMU 55 delivers a legitimate crack at a Rocky Mountain bull year after year.

The Hunt

All three weapon seasons run as 5-day hunts, and like our other guided Colorado elk hunts, every base-camp package puts you in comfortable log cabins with home-cooked meals. You choose the guiding style that fits your experience and budget:

Archery hunts are 5 days with 7 days of food and lodging, timed to the early rut when bulls are vocal and callable — averaging around a 70% shot opportunity. Muzzleloader runs September 12–16, dead in the middle of the rut, and it shows: shot opportunity averages around 90%, the best odds in camp. Rifle hunters take the first season, October 14–18, with roughly an 80% average shot opportunity — and for 2026 there are only 3 guided rifle spots left, with 2027 already sold out.

The Country & 2026 Season Dates

Base camp sits at 10,000 feet in Taylor Park, surrounded by the Gunnison National Forest and the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. Elevations run 8,000 to over 13,000 feet across nearly 360,000 acres — glassable alpine bowls up high, black timber and aspen benches in the middle, and private-land travel corridors down low. Guides field dress your bull and pack it out, and camp handles transportation to the trailheads each morning. Hunters who want to go even deeper into roadless country should also check out our southern Colorado wilderness elk pack-in hunt.

Licenses & the Draw

This is a draw hunt — elk tags for GMU 55 are issued through the Colorado limited draw. Applications open March 1 and close the first Tuesday of April. Here’s what you need by season:

If you apply and don’t draw, your deposit rolls over to the following year — you don’t lose your spot or your money. We’ll walk you through the application so it’s done right.

Pricing

Archery — 5-day hunt, 7 days food & lodging:

Muzzleloader — 5 days, Sept 12–16:

Rifle (1st season) — 5 days, Oct 14–18 (only 3 guided spots left for 2026):

What’s Included

What’s Not Included

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WO Trip Protection

For 5% of your trip cost, we guarantee your hunt. If the outfitter cancels, goes out of business, or a wildfire shuts down the area — we rebook you on a comparable hunt at no extra cost.

Ask your consultant about adding trip protection when you book.

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