Spring River Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Spring River Wildlife Area is 424 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 8 miles north of Galena, in Cherokee County and deer Unit 11. Camping: yes, in designated areas; equipment: none (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landWalk-in (WIHA)Spring River Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 424 (KDWP); 400 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 3 mi. E, 1/4 N of Crestline |
| Phone | (620) 231-3173 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | NA |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Cherokee |
| Deer unit | Unit 11 |
What are the rules on Spring River Wildlife Area?
KDWP's 2026-27 listing puts no equipment restriction on the area. No other rule is listed.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 15.
Which deer unit is Spring River Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 11, 6,559 square miles, with 15,611 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 11 gets 3,564 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026, and its extended antlerless firearm season runs Jan. 1-24, 2027 (KDWP deer quotas and draw statistics; KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 30).
Harvest: KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021).
What public and walk-in land is near Spring River Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 451 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and no WIHA walk-in land. Nearest wildlife areas: Cherokee Lowlands Wildlife Area (8.5 mi), Mined Land Wildlife Area (8.6 mi) and Shoal Creek Wildlife Area (9.7 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts.
How do you get to Spring River Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 3 mi. E, 1/4 N of Crestline. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 400, US 69 and US 160.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Galena | 7 | south |
| Weir | 10 | northwest |
| Columbus | 10 | west |
| Scammon | 11 | northwest |
| Roseland | 12 | northwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Spring River Wildlife Area?
Yes, in designated areas, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing, for up to seven days in a row.
Do you have to check in to hunt Spring River Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Spring River Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 8 miles north of Galena, in Cherokee County and deer Unit 11.
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Sources: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 7 to 16; KDWP wildlife areas; USGS PAD-US 4.1; KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts; KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021). General KDWP public land rules: all wildlife areas. FilledTag is not part of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.