Mud Springs Public Access Area: hunting, access and rules
Mud Springs Public Access Area is 1,837 acres in WGFD's Lander Region, Fremont County. Public Access Areas are places where WGFD has bought or leased public access, often to water and the ground around it. WGFD lists elk (hunt area 28), deer (hunt area 92), antelope (hunt area 65) and moose (hunt area 2) for big game hunting here.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: WGFD's PAA data. Boundary: WGFD GIS. Harvest: WGFD reports to 2025.
National forestBLMState trust landWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Mud Springs PAAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,837 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
| County | Fremont |
| Access dates | Open during big game hunting seasons only. |
| Seasonal closure | Mud Springs PAA is closed to public access outside of big game hunting seasons |
| Big game listed | Elk, Deer, Antelope and Moose |
| Nearest towns | Lander (4 mi), Hudson (10 mi) and Boulder Flats (11 mi) |
What is Mud Springs PAA?
Mud Spring Public Access Area (PAA) is located approximately six (6) miles south of Lander on private land. Public Access is only permitted during big game hunting season, for the hunting of big game species. Public access to Mud Springs PAA is through adjacent public land adjoining the PAA.
What are the rules on Mud Springs PAA?
Access: Open during big game hunting seasons only.
Exceptions: Non-motorized access through adjoining public lands only. No direct road access across private lands.
Seasonal closure: Mud Springs PAA is closed to public access outside of big game hunting seasons.
Area regulations: Non-Motorized access only. Hunting for the following only: Pronghorn, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, and/or Elk.
Shed antlers: Mud Springs PAA is NOT open to public access for shed antler collection.
WGFD lists these uses: Hunting.
In WGFD's words, from its PAA data and its page for Mud Springs. WGFD's posted signs and its Chapter 23 rules for Commission lands are the final word.
What can you hunt on Mud Springs PAA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in area 28; deer in area 92; antelope in area 65; moose in area 2.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Mud Springs PAA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Mud Springs PAA, with the acres of the PAA in each and WGFD's latest harvest for the whole hunt area:
| Hunt area | PAA acres in it | Harvest, whole area | Hunter success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Area 28 | 1,837 | 398 (2025) | 32% |
| Deer Area 92 | 1,837 | 205 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 65 | 1,837 | 100 (2025) | 79.4% |
| Moose Area 2 | 1,837 | 4 (2025) | 100% |
Harvest: WGFD harvest reports, latest year each area was reported (WGFD harvest reports). Acres measured by FilledTag from WGFD's boundaries.
What land is around Mud Springs PAA?
Inside the PAA boundary, by manager (WGFD's own holdings and leases are not in the federal and state layers, so they show as unlisted land):
| Manager | Acres inside |
|---|---|
| BLM | 3 |
| State trust land | 1 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 1,833 |
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land) inside WGFD's boundary (1,837 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Mud Springs PAA?
Highways within 8 miles: WY 789, US 287 and WY 28. Nearest towns: Lander (4 miles), Hudson (10 miles), Boulder Flats (11 miles) and Ethete (16 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Mud Springs PAA open?
Open during big game hunting seasons only. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: Mud Springs PAA is closed to public access outside of big game hunting seasons.
What can you hunt on Mud Springs PAA?
WGFD lists elk, deer, antelope and moose for big game. Each species follows the season of the hunt area the ground is in.
What are the rules on Mud Springs PAA?
Non-Motorized access only. Hunting for the following only: Pronghorn, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, and/or Elk.
Where is Mud Springs PAA?
About 4 miles from Lander, and 10 miles from Hudson, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Mud Springs PAA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 28, deer Area 92 and antelope Area 65. Each hunt area's season applies to the ground inside it.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area facts, access dates, rules and species: WGFD Public Access Area details; WGFD, Mud Springs.
- Boundary: WGFD Public Access Area boundaries. Surrounding land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land).
- Hunt area harvest: WGFD harvest reports, 2021 to 2025.
FilledTag is not part of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Numbers are copied from WGFD and the other agencies named, or measured by FilledTag from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag. WGFD's regulations are the final word on every rule.
Wyoming hunting Lander Region Elk Area 28 Deer Area 92 Antelope Area 65 Moose Area 2