Harding County, South Dakota: Walk-In Areas, GPAs and public hunting land
Harding County has 183,204 acres of private land open to public hunting through GFP's Walk-In Area and CREP programs inside its line (42 tracts centered in the county), 1 game production area covering 900 acres, and 356,519 acres of other public land, by the maps GFP publishes. That is 31.5% of the county's 1,714,047 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 grasslandBLMSchool and public landOther GFP land (access sites, lakes)Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting)Harding CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,714,047 acres (2,678 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Walk-In and CREP land inside the county line | 183,204 acres |
| Walk-In Area tracts centered in the county | 42 (173,047 acres in all) |
| Game production areas | 1, 900 acres |
| School and public land | 252,807 acres |
| Other public land | 103,712 acres |
| Deer units | Deer unit 35A, Deer unit 35C, Deer unit 35L |
| Antelope units | Antelope unit 35A, Antelope unit 35B |
| Towns | Buffalo and Camp Crook |
How much Walk-In Area land is in Harding County?
183,204 acres inside the county line, 10.7% of the county. 42 Walk-In Area tracts are centered in the county (173,047 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 Harding County?
One GPA:
- Mallula GPA: 900 acres
How much public land is in Harding County?
20.9% of the county is public land: 357,419 acres, counting the GPAs. The largest share is school and public land, 252,807 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| School and public land | 252,807 | 14.7% |
| Walk-In Area or CREP (private land open to hunting) | 183,204 | 10.7% |
| National forest or grassland | 73,883 | 4.3% |
| BLM | 29,829 | 1.7% |
| Game production area (GFP) | 900 | 0.1% |
| Other GFP land (access sites, lakes) | 320 | 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 Harding County?
The units GFP names for Harding County, with their 2026 licenses and latest harvest projection, for the whole unit:
| Unit | GFP's description | Licenses, 2026 | Taken (GFP projection) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 35A | West Harding | 513 | 321 (2025) |
| Deer unit 35C | East Harding | 486 | 337 (2025) |
| Deer unit 35L | Harding, Custer Gallatin NF (exc. West Short Pines and Long Pines) | 108 | 69 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 35A | Harding, west of US Hwy 85 | 153 | 111 (2025) |
| Antelope unit 35B | Harding, east of US Hwy 85 | 153 | 127 (2025) |
Sources: GFP 2026 draw applications; GFP harvest projections.
How do you get around Harding County?
Highways: SD 79 (about 58 miles in the county), SD 20 (about 57 miles in the county) and US 85 (about 54 miles in the county). Towns: Buffalo and Camp Crook.
How do the counties around Harding compare?
| County | Walk-In and CREP acres | Tracts | GPA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte | 238,977 | 45 | 4,332 | 220,345 |
| Perkins | 117,767 | 63 | 7,030 | 204,458 |
Questions hunters ask
How much Walk-In Area land is in Harding County?
GFP's public hunting atlas shows 183,204 acres of Walk-In Area and CREP land inside Harding County's line, from 42 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 Harding County?
Yes, 1: Mallula (900 acres).
What hunting units are in Harding County?
GFP names deer units 35A, 35C and 35L and antelope units 35A and 35B for Harding County in its 2026 applications.
How much public land is in Harding County?
20.9% of the county, 357,419 acres, is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules; the largest share is school and public land at 252,807 acres.
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, South Dakota included.
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.