Hardware WMA

Hardware Wildlife Management Area — located at the top of Blacksmith Fork Canyon in northern Utah — provides habitat supporting a variety of wildlife species, as well as public access for wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation.

Wildlife-viewing opportunities

From Dec. 6, 2024 to Feb. 9, 2025 the Wildlife Education Center at Hardware WMA will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During open hours, visitors can access the Education Center and two outside viewing areas to observe the elk.

Year-round, visitors can access viewing areas to observe wildlife from the WMA parking lots. Scenic, 180-degree vistas from the Education Center provide visitors with a bird's-eye view of the big meadow below and excellent wildlife photography opportunities. On days when the Education Center is closed, elk viewing is possible from the WMA parking lots.

View a slideshow of sights at Hardware WMA.

Recreational and educational activities

In addition to the wildlife around the Hardware Wildlife Education Center, fishing opportunities abound. Licensed anglers can catch several trout species in the nearly 15 miles of streams and rivers on the WMA (anglers 12 years of age and older must have a valid Utah fishing or combination license).

Horse-drawn sleigh and wagon rides on the WMA are offered in the winter on the days the Education Center is open, and are a unique opportunity to see elk up close and in their natural habitat.

If you are a teacher or school group interested in learning more about year-round educational opportunities at Hardware WMA, find more details here.

Keeping elk herds healthy

During the winter months, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources feeds between 500 and 600 Rocky Mountain elk in the big meadow near Hardware's Wildlife Education Center each day. The grass hay used to feed the elk — approximately 300 tons — is grown on the WMA throughout the summer.

Also during the winter, DWR employees use the WMA's trapping facilities to capture some of the elk before weighing them and attaching ear tags. The DWR uses the ear tags to identify individual elk and study population characteristics. We also test a representative sample of elk each year for brucellosis and, occasionally, tuberculosis.