The L.T. Murray Unit is comprised of conifer forest and shrubsteppe, both interspersed with riparian corridors. Wildlife use is diverse, including elk, deer, bighorn sheep, forest grouse, turkey, quail, and a myriad of small mammals, Neotropical/upland birds, raptors, and reptiles. Recent conservation efforts are returning federally listed anadromous stocks to the Manastash and Taneum watersheds. Hunting, fishing, camping and wildlife watching are all popular.
The L.T. Murray Unit is about 15 miles west of Ellensburg in Kittitas County.
Lying in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, the eastern end receives less than 16 inches of precipitation, but the westside gets up to 100 inches of snow. The L.T. Murray Unit extends in a band about 11 miles wide from south of Cle Elum to the top of Manastash Ridge. The lower portions of two major drainages, Taneum Canyon on the north and Manastash Canyon on the south, are within the unit. The streams in these canyons flow west to east and empty into the Yakima River. Numerous smaller perennial and intermittent stream channels feed these two major drainages. The timbered portions of the L.T. Murray Unit form the upper watersheds that culminate in Taneum and Manastash Canyons, and the agricultural lands of the eastern Kittitas Valley.
This unit is part of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area.
Game Management Units: 334, 340, 336
Getting there
Maps and directions to WDFW-managed access points for this unit. Opens Google Maps in a new tab.
Recreation and public access
A Discover Pass is required on WDFW lands -- including water access areas, wildlife areas, and campgrounds -- unless you already have a Vehicle Access Pass issued with the purchase of an eligible hunting or fishing license. Recreate responsibly on public lands: please know the Public Conduct Rules.
This location participates in the Green Dot system which restricts motorized vehicle use to marked roads. See the Green Dot Page for more information and detailed maps.
Public facility information:
- Parking area is a gravel flat at Joe Watt Canyon area
- No restrooms
- Reader boards with information and maps at entry points
Recreation and access advisories
- Areas surrounding elk feeding sites are closed to all public entry from early December to May 1.
- This unit is within a Green Dot Road Management area. Maps and regulations are available at the WDFW Region 3 Office, online, and the Department of Natural Resource's Southeast Regional Office. Motorized vehicles must stay on designated Green Dot roads. All other roads NOT marked with a green dot are NOT open to motorized vehicles.
- Visitors are asked to close gates behind them and avoid driving on roads when soft and wet.
- Vehicle camping is prohibited beyond 100 feet of open roads.
- Campfires prohibited from Apr. 15 through Oct. 15.
- Woodcutting is not permitted without a landowner permit. Down wood less than 12 inches in diameter may be collected for onsite campwood.
- Permanent camps or structures are not permitted. All man-made materials must be removed.
Hunting
Big game and upland birds, including California quail, turkey, mourning dove, and forest grouse provide significant hunting opportunity on this unit.
Fishing
There are numerous fish-bearing streams on the unit that contain both resident and anadromous fish stocks.
Wildlife viewing
This unit includes conifer forest, shrupsteppe, riparian corridors, numerous streams, and grasslands, offering opportunities to view a variety of wildlife, including deer, elk, bighorn sheep, quail, and wild turkey.
Joe Watt Canyon offers public viewing of elk feeding. Feeding occurs daily at about 8 am during the winter months (typically mid-December through mid-March).
Search for potential birding opportunities on or near a wildlife area unit by using eBird Northwest, a citizen science database portal that provides freely-shared bird lists at 'hotspots' and interactive maps plus other birding information updated daily.
Conservation
Vegetation ranges from the lower elevation shrubs and bunch grasses into Ponderosa pine, then to higher elevations with denser stands of timber, mostly Douglas-fir, grand fir, and some western larch. Grasslands interspersed with rock outcrops and shrub-steppe communities dominate hillsides in transitional zones.
Special habitats and species
Shrubsteppe habitat provides habitat for striped whipsnake, sagebrush lizard, ferruginous hawk, and burrowing owl. Old-growth forest occurs in the upper elevations of the unit.
Conservation goals
- Improve and maintain fish population
- Maintain or improve conditions for priority species and habitats
- Protect and restore native plant communities
- Protect critical elk winter range and upland game bird habitat
- Preserve habitat and species diversity of fish and wildlife resources
Shrubsteppe habitat provides habitat for striped whipsnake, sagebrush lizard, ferruginous hawk, and burrowing owl. Old-growth forest occurs in the upper elevations of the unit.
- Improve and maintain fish population
- Maintain or improve conditions for priority species and habitats
- Protect and restore native plant communities
- Protect critical elk winter range and upland game bird habitat
- Preserve habitat and species diversity of fish and wildlife resources
Land stewardship
WDFW's acres of the L.T. Murray Unit were purchased to protect critical winter range for deer and elk, as well as well as perpetuate and improve upland game bird habitat. The unit also includes acres owned by the Department of Natural Resources.
Acquisition history
The parcels making up this area were purchased between 1970 and 2023.
| Funder | Fund |
|---|---|
| Bonneville Power Administration | Mitigation Funds |
| State of Washington | WA Dept of Ecology |
| US Fish and Wildlife Service | Endangered Species Act Section 6 Program |
| US Fish and Wildlife Service | Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program |
| US National Park Service | Land and Water Conservation Fund |
| WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife | WDFW Game Fund (now Wildlife Fund) |
| WA Recreation and Conservation Office | State Bond Account |
| WA Recreation and Conservation Office | Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program |
Management planning
The planning process for the new management plan for the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area has begun. In lieu of hosting a public workshop, we have prepared some materials for you to learn more about the wildlife area, the planning process, and how to provide your input to us.
Description of the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area (video): An overview of the wildlife area and the key habitats, species, and recreation opportunities.
Management Planning Process (video): An overview of the wildlife area management planning process.
PDF: Brief description of the planning process and wildlife area units.
2023 L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Management Plan
Planning Advisory Committee
L.T. Murray Wildlife Area Advisory Committee