North Park is one of Colorado’s best-kept elk hunting secrets. Tucked between the Park Range, the Medicine Bow Range, and the Never Summer Mountains about three hours northwest of Denver, this high valley sits squarely in the path of one of the strongest elk migrations in the state — a herd estimated at over 10,000 animals moving off the surrounding high country each fall. On this hunt you’ll chase them across 65,000 acres of private ranches in GMUs 6, 16, 17, and 171, plus adjoining BLM ground, with a fully guided, fair-chase program built around a 2-to-1 hunter-to-guide ratio.
Here’s what makes this area special: only about a third of Jackson County is private land, so pressured elk pour onto these protected ranches for safety. The ranches sit on the fringes of the timber with heavy agriculture, which means food, water, cover, and breeding ground all in one place. The local herd carries nearly 20 bulls per 100 cows — well above what you’ll find on most public ground — and clients regularly take bulls in the 200s with a real chance at 300-inch class animals. Best of all, there are no trophy fees: the price is the price whether your bull scores 200 or 350. If you’re weighing your options, start with our complete guide to Colorado elk hunting.
The Hunting Area
You’ll hunt just outside the small towns of Rand, Coalmont, and Walden at the base of Parkview Mountain, on the south end of Colorado’s North Park region. Elevations run from about 8,600 to over 10,000 feet — but this isn’t steep, above-timberline country. It’s rolling hills with every habitat the West has to offer: open sage flats, willow-choked creek bottoms, hay fields, aspen groves, and hillsides of dark lodgepole timber. You’ll leave the lodge each morning in the guide’s truck, then hunt on foot — spotting from high bluffs that overlook huge expanses of country, still-hunting timber fringes, or posting up in elevated, heated blinds that make those cold, snowy late-season days a whole lot more comfortable. Expect true Rocky Mountain weather: it can be 20 degrees at daylight, 70 by lunch, and snowing by dark.
Rifle Bull Elk Hunts
This is the flagship hunt. The second and third rifle seasons run from late October through mid-November, and bull tags for these seasons are available over the counter — no draw, no points, no waiting. That’s a rare thing in Colorado these days, and it means you can decide to hunt private-land elk in Colorado without drawing a tag. As the season progresses and snow piles up in the high country, the migration pushes thousands of elk down through these ranches toward their wintering grounds, and hunting gets better with every storm. First and fourth rifle seasons are also available as either-sex draw hunts that typically take zero to one preference point to draw. Average opportunity rates run around 65 percent over recent seasons — some groups see 95 percent — on free-range, fair-chase bulls.
Archery & Muzzleloader Elk Hunts — September Rut
September in North Park means screaming bulls. The rut peaks from late August through late September, and these 5-day hunts put you in the middle of it — calling in herd bulls, sitting wallows, stalking well-used game trails, and working willow-choked river bottoms where bulls square off over cows. Archery hunters should be accurate to 60 yards (your guide will work to get you inside 40); muzzleloader hunters should be comfortable to 100 yards with open sights, as Colorado requires — no scopes, no sabots. Colorado residents can buy archery licenses over the counter, while non-residents draw an archery bull tag. Muzzleloader is a draw for everyone and typically takes residents 2–3 points and non-residents 4–6. These hunts are limited to a small number of hunters across the season, and both demand good physical condition and mobility on foot.
Private-Land Cow Elk Hunts
Want to fill the freezer? These 3-day, private-land-only rifle cow hunts run in late summer and again in November as part of a herd-management partnership with the landowners and Colorado Parks & Wildlife — they aren’t available on public land anywhere in the state. Opportunity rates have run around 85 percent over the last five-plus seasons. The tags are typically zero-point draws or leftover licenses, and because they’re List B tags, you can carry one alongside your bull tag — twice the meat, twice the fun. This is a fantastic hunt for youth hunters, first-timers, and anyone who wants prime, free-range elk meat in the freezer. You can compare more options on our guided cow elk hunts page.
The Lodge
Between hunts you’ll stay at a historic ranch lodge homesteaded in the 1860s — the original ranch house, built from hand-hewn lodgepole pine, with several other 1800s-era buildings on the property that were skied down from a nearby ghost town in the dead of winter. The three-bedroom lodge sleeps seven, with a full bathroom and hot shower, washer and dryer, satellite TV, high-speed wireless internet, and a fully stocked kitchen where the in-camp cook keeps everyone well fed. A private rustic cabin about 100 yards from the main lodge is available for couples or anyone wanting extra privacy, and there’s a trout pond just steps out the door.
Licenses & Tags
License requirements vary by season: second and third rifle bull tags are over the counter, archery is over the counter for residents and a draw for non-residents, and muzzleloader plus first and fourth rifle are draw-only. Cow tags are typically available as leftover licenses. Don’t let the draw intimidate you — we walk every client through the application process, and your consultant will help you line up the right season and tag strategy for your points situation. Tag fees and draw rules are set by Colorado Parks & Wildlife and change from year to year.
Pricing
- 3-Day Rifle Bull Elk Hunt: $7,500 USD
- 5-Day Rifle Bull Elk Hunt: $11,500 USD
- 6-Day Rifle Bull Elk Hunt (2nd/3rd season only): $12,600 USD
- 7-Day Rifle Bull Elk Hunt (2nd/3rd season only): $14,700 USD
- 5-Day Archery Elk Hunt (September): $10,500 USD
- 5-Day Muzzleloader Elk Hunt (September): $10,500 USD
- 3-Day Private-Land Cow Elk Hunt: $5,000 USD
- Black bear combo add-on (fall elk hunts): $1,500
- Non-hunter guest: $1,150 (3-day) / $1,750 (5-day)
All hunts are 100% fully guided at a 2-to-1 hunter-to-guide ratio — no semi-guided hunts, trespass-fee hunts, or drop camps. A 1-on-1 guide upgrade is available in select seasons; ask your consultant about availability and cost. There are no trophy fees on any bull. Rates are confirmed for your season when you book.
What’s Included
- Fully guided hunting (2 hunters per guide)
- Lodging at the historic ranch lodge
- All meals prepared by the in-camp cook
- Daily transportation from the lodge to the hunting grounds
- Field care of your animal — gutting, skinning, capping, and ivory removal
- Transport of your elk to a local processor, or help quartering and packing your coolers
- Elevated heated blinds and guide vehicles
- Help with license applications and draw strategy
What’s Not Included
- Hunting license, habitat stamp, and tag
- Travel to and from the lodge (Denver International is about a 3-hour drive; Cheyenne, WY and Steamboat Springs are closer options, and private planes can land in Walden)
- Game processing and taxidermy
- Alcohol
- Guide and cook gratuities (10% to your guide and $100 to the cook are customary)
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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