This is a very big unit, and sheep have become more scattered in recent years, but if you are simply looking for a classic looking bighorn and not a new world record, you should be in for a great hunt. Expect a physical hunt more often than not, unless you luck into the right ram near the lake. This hunt lends itself to both spike camp style hunting, as well as hunting out of a base camp, using vehicles and boats to cover ground and locate sheep. A nice ram is not out of the question if you come physically prepared and remain patient.

Most hunters are finding success in the southern half of the unit, closer to the town of Chelan. They are spotting sheep from the lake or from Grade Creek Road and then making a move on them.

This unit is very broken, with many valleys, peaks, and ridgebacks changing thousands of feet in elevation throughout the entire unit. The main focal point of this unit, making up the entire southern border of the unit, is Lake Chelan. As soon as you leave the shore, you will begin to gain elevation. With long ridges leading up to multiple 7,000+ foot summits, you should be physically prepared for some very strenuous hikes, trailblazing towards sheep that have been spotted. The northern end of the unit has the highest elevations in the unit.

A large array of different vegetation can be found in the Wenatchee National Forest; you can expect to see many species including but not limited to vine maple, sword fern, douglas fir, western red cedar, alder, western hemlock, mountain hemlock, and the yellow cedar. Multiple species of grasses, ferns, shrubbery, and wildflowers that make up the forest floor. Most of the vegetation, except the wildflowers, some grass, and the occasional twisted whitebark pine will begin to fade as you gain elevation.

As most of this unit sits within the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, most access to this unit will either be by long miles on your boots or setting up a base your camp out of one of the multiple established campgrounds on the north shore of Lake Chelan that you will need a boat to access. The Prince Creek Wilderness Trail is one of these access points. This trail stays in the bottom of Goat Pass Canyon for many miles as it leads into a number of other trails approximately 5 miles from the lake. You will gain roughly 4,000 feet in elevation on this trail and it will put you on the south side of Finney Peak, the tallest peak in the unit, and Finney Ridge, all good sheep country. A little further up the lake, on Moore Point, is another trailhead called North Fork Fish Creek that will take you onto the north side of this area, as well as Round Mountain and Horton Butte. If you branch south onto the Horton Butte Trail, about 2.5 miles in, you will start getting into some great looking cliff faces below the Horton Butte Summit. If you are looking for a road to base camp out of, there are a number of roads on the south end of the unit, some are more maintained than others. A few thousand feet about the shore of the lake, The Grade Creek Road runs for miles and will take you to the Safety Harbor Creek Campground and trailhead. The trailhead will continue north to the Uno Peak Trail, as well as Ferry and Uno Peak, all good sheep country.

Primitive camping on the forest is allowed most of the year, but access and areas of the forest, as well as the wilderness, will get closed as winter weather starts to set in. Call ahead to double check if there are any restrictions or permits necessary prior to your trip. If you are looking for a more established campground there are multiple options found along the lake, including Moore Point Campground, Prince Creek Campground, and Safety Harbor Campground. If you are looking to base your camp off of a road as opposed to a boat, there are a number of campgrounds found along the Grade Creek Road like the Safety Harbor Campground and South Navarre Campground. The nearest fuel, lodging, and groceries to this part of the unit can be found back towards the town of Chelan. Plan ahead for groceries and supplies, as this is a remote unit and supplies will be at a minimum once you leave Chelan.