Cahokia Mounds: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 854 acres of Cahokia Mounds open to hunting in St. Clair and Madison counties, next to Washington Park. Deer archery: lottery permit. Hunters took 1,928 deer in St. Clair 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 huntingOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landCahokia MoundsCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 854 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | St. Clair County and Madison County |
| Deer harvest unit | St. Clair County, Madison County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | lottery permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state historic site |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Washington Park (next to it), Fairmont City (next to it) and Caseyville (next to it) |
What is Cahokia Mounds like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 3 hunting areas: Unit 1, Unit 3, Unit 2.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Cahokia Mounds?
IDNR's records list deer (archery) for Cahokia Mounds.
What are the rules on Cahokia Mounds?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: lottery permit for deer archery.
IDNR's exceptions: No parking along Forest Blvd.
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 Cahokia Mounds?
Cahokia Mounds lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 1,928 deer in St. Clair County in 2025-26, against 1,712 in 2024-25.
| County | Cahokia Mounds acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County | 580 | 1,928 | 1,712 | 1,696 |
| Madison County | 274 | 2,051 | 1,972 | 1,875 |
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 Cahokia Mounds?
Nearest towns: Washington Park (next to it), Fairmont City (next to it), Caseyville (next to it) and Madison (2 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-255, US 40, I-55, I-70 and I-64.
What other public land is near Cahokia Mounds?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park: 3,205 acres, next to it
- Frank Holten State Park: 265 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,183 acres, 6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Cahokia Mounds
Counting Cahokia Mounds itself, 7,149 of the 35,133 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (20.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 3,968 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,774 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 1,244 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 163 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Cahokia Mounds?
In St. Clair and Madison counties, next to Washington Park.
Can you deer hunt on Cahokia Mounds?
By IDNR's records: archery, lottery permit.
How much public land is around Cahokia Mounds?
7,149 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Cahokia Mounds included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park (next to it).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Illinois are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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.