Apple River Canyon State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,731 acres of Apple River Canyon State Park open to hunting in Jo Daviess County, 2 miles from Apple Canyon Lake. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 2,698 deer in Jo Daviess County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: IDNR's IDNR hunting site data, read 2026-10. Harvest: IDNR county summaries, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
IDNR sites open to huntingNational wildlife refugesFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landApple River Canyon State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,731 acres in 8 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Jo Daviess County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jo Daviess County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, CWD season (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit and special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Apple Canyon Lake (2 mi), The Galena Territory (4 mi) and Elizabeth (6 mi) |
What is Apple River Canyon State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 4 hunting areas: Salem Unit, Winston Tunnel, Thompson Unit, Dvorak Unit.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Apple River Canyon State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and CWD season), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit and waterfowl (walk-in) for Apple River Canyon State Park.
What are the rules on Apple River Canyon State Park?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader, deer cwd season and turkey spring; county permit and special hunt permit from Springfield, depending on the hunting area for turkey fall firearm.
IDNR's notes: Nature Preserve. Archery Deer hunting only.
Site-specific rules are in IDNR's Hunting Digest and the site's hunter fact sheet; IDNR's public hunting areas list has the site's permit details.
How many deer are taken around Apple River Canyon State Park?
Apple River Canyon State Park lies in Jo Daviess County. Hunters took 2,698 deer in Jo Daviess County in 2025-26, against 2,675 in 2024-25.
| County | Apple River Canyon State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Daviess County | 1,731 | 2,698 | 2,675 | 2,684 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting site alone: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
How do you get to Apple River Canyon State Park?
Nearest towns: Apple Canyon Lake (2 miles), The Galena Territory (4 miles), Elizabeth (6 miles) and Galena (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 20 and IL 84.
What other public land is near Apple River Canyon State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,133 acres, 1 mile away
- Lost Mound Unit: 12,341 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Tapley Woods State Natural Area: 267 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Primm's Pond State Natural Area: 168 acres, 6.2 miles away
- Hanover Bluff State Natural Area: 493 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Ward's Grove State Natural Area: 334 acres, 9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Apple River Canyon State Park
Counting Apple River Canyon State Park itself, 5,953 of the 59,203 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,836 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 2,237 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 475 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 405 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Apple River Canyon State Park?
In Jo Daviess County, 2 miles from Apple Canyon Lake.
Can you deer hunt on Apple River Canyon State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, special hunt permit from Springfield; CWD season, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Apple River Canyon State Park?
5,953 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Apple River Canyon State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area (1 mile).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Illinois included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: IDNR land records: sites and hunting areas (OMLP, Prairie Research Institute).
- Boundary and acres: IDNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records.
- Deer harvest: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Check IDNR's rules and posted signs before you go.