Be prepared for a mess of other hunters; having horses will get you back away from the other masses.  Try hunting south of the Castles.  The elk can't go over them but they can and will go around them.  Easier access areas like the road leading up to Rainbow Lakes is a zoo.  The big hill on the way up can and will be slippier than monkey snot and can be a bit intimidating, pulling a trailer in crapped out weather on that wouldn't be advisable.The Soap and Coal basin areas are a good starting point.  Fair numbers of elk including some decent bulls, but a few outfitter camps are in these areas as well.  Elk are where you find them and don't play by any particular set of rules.  If the pressure heats up, they'll get fat and sassy just laying low in some of the nastiest timber they can find where access by those looking to eliminatem them from the gene pool is at an absolute minimum.  54 is some rough country.

We hunted unit 54 last year 2nd season with either sex tags also in the Big soap park area, West elk wilderness.

Out of 6 hunters my son got a nice 5x5 and got a coyote and wounded a bear and another guy missed a smaller bull and saw 1 other legal bull. And we saw a few cows but no luck with them. I only saw 3 cows at 800 yards 3rd day, we hunted all the days and saw must of them up over 10,000. I also did see a few good bucks. I would say if we had horses it would have helped but great area and a good hunt is what it's about, I would like them jumping in my truck of course but they have been messed with alot by then. 

There was hunters but we heard there was alot more 1st season, I am looking at returning in 2011 either archery or muzzle loader if we draw. 

Thanks for your input guys.  It really helps to get a heads up about a new area.  I will get there in a couple of days and am really looking forward to taking a look around.  Not taking horses this time, so I will hike as much as I can.  Hopefully we will see some animals, though I know they are not bound to be in the same place in October.  Need to tie one to a tree next to a stream and hope he's still there.  Thanks again.