Fall River County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Fall River County has 67,413 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (29 tracts centered in the county), 6 game production areas covering 14,108 acres, and 303,580 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 34.4% of the county's 1,119,545 acres.
Data updated October 2026. Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land and GPAs: GFP map layers. Units: GFP 2026 applications and harvest projections.
Game production area (GFP)National forest or grasslandBLMCorps of EngineersSchool and public landState park or recreation area (rules vary)Other GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Fall River CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,119,545 acres (1,749 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 67,413 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 29 (66,529 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 6, 14,108 acres |
| School and public land | 19,259 acres |
| Other public land | 284,321 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 27A, Deer unit 27B, Deer unit 27L |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 27A |
| Towns | Hot Springs, Edgemont, Oelrichs, Angostura and Smithwick |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Fall River County?
67,413 acres inside the county line, 6% of the county. 29 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (66,529 acres in all). Walk-In Areas and CREP land are private ground GFP leases for public hunting. GFP's public hunting atlas shows each tract.
Which game production areas are in Fall River County?
6 GPAs, 14,108 acres in all, largest first:
- Hill Ranch GPA: 5,330 acres
- Friendshuh GPA: 3,439 acres
- Battle Mountain GPA: 3,080 acres
- Romey GPA: 960 acres
- Scherbarth GPA: 658 acres
- Oral GPA: 641 acres
How much public land is in Fall River County?
28.4% of the county is public land: 317,688 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is national forest or grassland, 276,574 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| National forest or grassland | 276,574 | 24.7% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 67,413 | 6% |
| School and public land | 19,259 | 1.7% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 14,108 | 1.3% |
| BLM | 7,227 | 0.6% |
| State park or recreation area (rules vary) | 2,837 | 0.3% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 1,470 | 0.1% |
| Corps of Engineers | 520 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the Census county line from GFP public hunting atlas layers (Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land) and GFP Managed Lands; overlapping maps are counted once. GFP's handbook counts school and public land among South Dakota's public hunting lands; motor vehicles are not allowed on it except on designated, signed roads, trails and parking areas (page 73).
Which hunting units are in Fall River County?
The units GFP names for Fall River County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 27A | North Fall River | 189 | 97 (2025) |
| Deer unit 27B | South and West Fall River | 378 | 218 (2025) |
| Deer unit 27L | Fall River, Hill Ranch complex | 17 | 16 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 27A | Fall River/southwest Custer | 357 | 254 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Fall River County?
Highways: US 18 (about 88 miles in the county), US 385 (about 69 miles in the county), SD 71 (about 34 miles in the county), SD 471 (about 22 miles in the county), SD 79 (about 12 miles in the county) and SD 89 (about 3 miles in the county). Towns: Hot Springs, Edgemont, Oelrichs, Angostura, Smithwick, Oral, Maverick Junction, Ardmore and 2 more.
How do the counties around Fall River compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer | 30,835 | 15 | 2,841 | 377,878 |
| Oglala Lakota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Fall River County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 67,413 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Fall River County's line, from 29 tracts centered in the county. No permission is needed to hunt a Walk-In Area; travel there is on foot except on signed trails, by GFP's handbook.
Are there game production areas in Fall River County?
Yes, 6: Hill Ranch (5,330 acres), Friendshuh (3,439 acres), Battle Mountain (3,080 acres), Romey (960 acres), Scherbarth (658 acres) and Oral (641 acres).
What hunting units are in Fall River County?
GFP names deer units 27A, 27B and 27L and antelope unit 27A for Fall River County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Fall River County?
28.4% of the county, 317,688 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is national forest or grassland at 276,574 acres.
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Where these numbers come from
- Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land and GPAs: GFP public hunting atlas layers (Walk-In Areas, CREP, school and public land, federal land) and GFP Managed Lands.
- Units: GFP 2026 draw applications and harvest projections.
- County line, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 boundaries, TIGER/Line and Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Walk-In Areas change each year; check GFP's current atlas before you go.
South Dakota hunting Custer County Oglala Lakota County