State Game Lands 51: hunting, parking and access
State Game Lands 51 is 16,945 acres owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission in Fayette County, inside WMU 2C. PGC's maps show 24 parking areas, 23 gates and 3.8 miles of game land road that PGC opens to vehicles at set times of year. The game lands are in 4 separate pieces; the largest is 15,348 acres.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary, parking, roads and gates: PGC's game lands maps. Seasons: PGC 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits.
State game landsState forestState parkNational Park ServiceSGL 51PGC parkingRoad open seasonallyShooting rangeWMU lineHighway
| Size | 16,945 acres, measured from PGC's boundary |
|---|---|
| Counties | Fayette |
| WMU | WMU 2C |
| PGC region | Southwest Region (office in Bolivar) |
| Parking areas | 24 (14 gravel and 10 grass) |
| Roads open seasonally | 3.8 miles on 2 roads |
| Game land roads closed to public vehicles | 30 miles |
| Gates | 23 |
| Public shooting range | Yes (PGC) |
| Separate tracts | 4 (largest 15,348 acres) |
| Nearest towns | Chalkhill (next to it), Dunbar (next to it) and South Connellsville (next to it) |
Where do you park on SGL 51?
PGC maps 24 parking areas on State Game Lands 51, listed north to south. Surfaces: 14 gravel and 10 grass.
| Lot | Latitude, longitude | Surface | Size (square feet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39.96060, -79.59133 | grass | 7,700 |
| 2 | 39.95109, -79.54304 | grass | |
| 3 | 39.94356, -79.52223 | gravel | 1,440 |
| 4 | 39.94235, -79.52165 | gravel | 1,350 |
| 5 | 39.93552, -79.52144 | grass | 7,500 |
| 6 | 39.93225, -79.58797 | gravel | 5,000 |
| 7 | 39.93032, -79.51192 | gravel | 1,350 |
| 8 | 39.91485, -79.55217 | gravel | 8,000 |
| 9 | 39.90494, -79.58937 | gravel | 16,800 |
| 10 | 39.90397, -79.56753 | gravel | 2,700 |
| 11 | 39.90239, -79.56274 | gravel | |
| 12 | 39.90199, -79.58737 | gravel | 2,250 |
| 13 | 39.89767, -79.58433 | grass | 4,600 |
| 14 | 39.89672, -79.63447 | gravel | 4,000 |
| 15 | 39.89422, -79.56370 | grass | 1,500 |
| 16 | 39.89025, -79.58579 | grass | 2,500 |
| 17 | 39.88951, -79.56869 | gravel | 1,500 |
| 18 | 39.88477, -79.57583 | grass | 4,000 |
| 19 | 39.88387, -79.57527 | gravel | 3,250 |
| 20 | 39.88282, -79.58418 | gravel | |
| 21 | 39.87536, -79.58204 | grass | 3,000 |
| 22 | 39.86997, -79.58778 | gravel | 7,500 |
| 23 | 39.86874, -79.59660 | grass | 3,150 |
| 24 | 39.86672, -79.58953 | grass | 20,800 |
Source: PGC State Game Lands parking areas. Sizes and surfaces are PGC's own records; a lot may be plowed or not in winter.
Which roads on SGL 51 are open to vehicles?
PGC opens 2 roads on SGL 51 to vehicles at set times of year, 3.8 miles in all. Outside those times they are closed to public vehicles.
| Road | Miles | When PGC opens it |
|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Rd | 2.4 | Schedule 1 below |
| Elk Rock Rd | 1.4 | Schedule 2 below |
Schedule 1, PGC's words: "Opened two weeks before archery until two weeks after late flintlock season"
Schedule 2, PGC's words: "Opened two weeks before archery season until two weeks after flintlock and during the spring gobbler season."
PGC also maps 30 miles of game land road on SGL 51 that is closed to public vehicles. PGC's road layer counts 39 miles of road open to public traffic through or along the game lands. PGC records 23 gates here.
PGC marks 1 disabled person route on SGL 51 (5.3 miles), for hunters who hold PGC's disabled person permit.
Named trails PGC maps on SGL 51: Elk Rock Rd.
Sources: PGC State Game Lands roads; PGC State Game Lands gates; PGC State Game Lands trails. Road miles measured by FilledTag from PGC's lines.
Is there a shooting range on SGL 51?
Yes. PGC lists a public shooting range on SGL 51: rifle to 100 yards at 39.9517, -79.5773. Range use needs a hunting or furtaker license or a range permit.
Source: PGC public shooting ranges.
Which WMU is SGL 51 in, and what is taken there?
SGL 51 lies wholly in WMU 2C. Seasons, antlerless licenses and harvest are kept by WMU, not by game lands; these are the figures for each whole WMU:
| WMU | Game lands acres in it | Antlered deer | Antlerless deer | Bears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 2C | 16,945 | 11,407 (2025-26) | 22,899 (2025-26) | 102 (2024) |
In WMU 2C, 2026-27 archery deer runs October 3 to November 20, and December 26 to January 24, 2027 and the regular firearms season November 28 to December 13.
Harvest: PGC Annual Deer Population Report, April 2026; PGC's 2024 bear harvest release. Seasons: PGC 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits.
How do you get to SGL 51?
Highways within five miles: US 119, PA 381, US 40, PA 711, PA 653 and PA 51. Nearest towns: Chalkhill (next to it), Dunbar (next to it), South Connellsville (next to it) and Lemont Furnace (2 miles).
PGC's land records for SGL 51: PGC real estate, SGL 51.
PGC's rules for every State Game Lands tract, from tree stands to fluorescent orange for non-hunters, are on the Pennsylvania hunting page.
Questions hunters ask
Where can you park on State Game Lands 51?
PGC maps 24 parking areas on SGL 51: 14 gravel and 10 grass. The largest PGC lists is about 20,800 square feet, at 39.8667, -79.5895. Every lot's coordinates are in the table on this page.
What WMU is State Game Lands 51 in?
All of SGL 51 is in WMU 2C. PGC estimates 11,407 antlered and 22,899 antlerless deer were taken in the whole WMU in 2025-26.
When are the roads on SGL 51 open to vehicles?
PGC lists 2 roads on SGL 51 as open seasonally, 3.8 miles in all. For Unnamed Rd, PGC's note reads: "Opened two weeks before archery until two weeks after late flintlock season"
Can you camp on State Game Lands 51?
No. PGC does not allow camping on any State Game Lands, SGL 51 included. The nearest town is Chalkhill, next to the game lands, by the Census map of places.
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Where these facts come from
- Boundary and acres: PGC State Game Lands boundaries. Parking: PGC State Game Lands parking areas. Roads: PGC State Game Lands roads. Gates: PGC State Game Lands gates.
- WMU harvest: PGC Annual Deer Population Report, April 2026; PGC's 2024 bear harvest release. Seasons: PGC 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits.
- Public land around the game lands: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.