Hutchinson County is the southernmost county in South Dakota with a total area of 1,432 square miles. According to estimates from 2018 its population was about 4500 people spread out between many small towns like Tripp, Olivet and Sudan. Agriculture is still an important part of its economy today although it has been overshadowed by increased mineral extraction operations recently due to discoveries of natural gas reserves. Tourism also contributes significantly to the local economy due to attractions like Big Stone Lake State Park near Milbank as well as many smaller parks around the lake system within Hutchinson County's borders.