The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is urging hunters and anglers to use its Walk-In Access program, a lease-based system that opens private land for public hunting, trapping and fishing. In 2025, the program gave the public access to 49,597 acres, along with 39.4 miles of stream and 221 acres of flat water across 116 properties.

The program matters because it gives sportsmen access to land that would otherwise remain closed. Aaron Sisson said hunting opportunities are typically limited to state and federally owned lands for most hunters, and said the program creates an important partnership between the agency and private landowners who are willing to open their lands for public use.

Each Walk-In Access property is private land that the DWR has leased for certain outdoor privileges, and each one operates under its own lease agreement. To use any WIA property, hunters and anglers must get an annual Walk-In Access authorization number first, and a list of properties is available online.

That requirement is where the program’s success still depends on user behavior. Sisson said hunters and anglers should be respectful while recreating on private properties so landowners want to keep taking part in the future, a reminder that the access is only as durable as the trust behind it.

For now, the 2025 numbers show a program that is already giving Utahns broad access to private land, but only for those who know the rules and follow them. The immediate task for anyone heading out is simple: secure the authorization number before stepping onto a WIA property, because access starts there.