Southwest of Monte Vista are thousands of acres of the Rio Grande National Forest, including the 13,000-foot Bennett Peak. Bighorn sheep are typically in steep, rough terrain that can make for a difficult, but rewarding hunt.

Handkerchief and Hogback Mesa, Blowout Pass, Willow Park, a number of reservoirs, rolling foothills, irrigated farms and sage flats, all combine to make this a diverse landscape. Timbered mountains and steep drainages compose most of the terrain where the sheep live.

Rio Grande National Forest and BLM land can be reached by a good county and forest service road system off of US Highway 160, Colorado Route 15 and County Road 250. From the different roads, there is a good trail system that can be used to access the more remote parts of the unit. Sheep hunting can be physically demanding, with sheep typically staying in harder to reach areas.

Aspens, spruce, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and open grassy parks can be found in the higher elevations. Cottonwoods and willows along drainages are also in this area. Oakbrush, pinyon/juniper, mountain mahogany, rabbitbrush, bitterbrush, sagebrush, buffalo and blue grama grasses grow throughout the lower elevations to the foothills.

Some improved campsites can be found in Rio Grande National Forest, dispersed camping on BLM and camping in designated areas on state land. Monte Vista is the nearest large community offering motels, cafes and restaurants, gas, diesel and limited medical care. Alamosa, further east, provides a wider variety of motels, restaurants and medical facilities. La Jara has limited gas and cafes.