Dixon Springs State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 577 acres of Dixon Springs State Park open to hunting in Pope County, 7 miles from Simpson. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: youth hunting. Hunters took 2,070 deer in Pope 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 forestDixon Springs State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 577 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Pope County |
| Deer harvest unit | Pope County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel and Dove |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | youth hunting |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | YS |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Simpson (7 mi), Eddyville (8 mi) and Golconda (9 mi) |
What is Dixon Springs State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 3 hunting areas: South, North, East.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Dixon Springs State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel and dove for Dixon Springs State Park.
What are the rules on Dixon Springs State Park?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; youth hunting for deer firearm; county permit for deer muzzleloader and turkey fall firearm; YS for turkey spring.
IDNR's exceptions: Non-toxic Dove 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 Dixon Springs State Park?
Dixon Springs State Park lies in Pope County. Hunters took 2,070 deer in Pope County in 2025-26, against 2,114 in 2024-25.
| County | Dixon Springs State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pope County | 577 | 2,070 | 2,114 | 2,293 |
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 Dixon Springs State Park?
Nearest towns: Simpson (7 miles), Eddyville (8 miles), Golconda (9 miles) and Vienna (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 146 and IL 145.
What other public land is near Dixon Springs State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Golconda Marina: 294 acres, 8.3 miles away
- Skinner Farm State Habitat Area: 100 acres, 9.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Dixon Springs State Park
Counting Dixon Springs State Park itself, 10,033 of the 29,298 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (34.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 9,456 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 577 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Dixon Springs State Park?
In Pope County, 7 miles from Simpson.
Can you deer hunt on Dixon Springs State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, youth hunting; muzzleloader, county permit.
How much public land is around Dixon Springs State Park?
10,033 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Dixon Springs State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Golconda Marina (8.3 miles).
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.