Matthiessen State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,596 acres of Matthiessen State Park open to hunting in LaSalle County, next to Oglesby. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,561 deer in LaSalle 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 landMatthiessen State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,596 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | LaSalle County |
| Deer harvest unit | LaSalle County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Dove 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 |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Oglesby (next to it), LaSalle (2 mi) and Tonica (3 mi) |
What is Matthiessen State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 16 hunting areas: 3B, 2B, 8, 2A, 1B, 1A, 3A, Equestrian Campground, Margery C. Carlson NP, Matthiessen Dells NP and more.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Matthiessen State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and CWD season), turkey (spring and fall archery), squirrel, dove and waterfowl (walk-in) for Matthiessen State Park.
What are the rules on Matthiessen 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.
IDNR's notes: Equestrian Primitive camping. 1 ADA site with electric.
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 Matthiessen State Park?
Matthiessen State Park lies in LaSalle County. Hunters took 1,561 deer in LaSalle County in 2025-26, against 1,504 in 2024-25.
| County | Matthiessen State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle County | 1,596 | 1,561 | 1,504 | 1,713 |
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 Matthiessen State Park?
Nearest towns: Oglesby (next to it), LaSalle (2 miles), Tonica (3 miles) and North Utica (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 51, I-39, I-80, IL 251 and IL 71.
What other public land is near Matthiessen State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Starved Rock State Park: 2,719 acres, next to it
- Illinois and Michigan Canal: 506 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Pecumsaugan Creek/Blackball Mines State Natural Area: 199 acres, 1.2 miles away
- Mitchell's Grove State Natural Area: 173 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Buffalo Rock State Park: 194 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Sandy Ford State Natural Area: 195 acres, 6.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Matthiessen State Park
Counting Matthiessen State Park itself, 5,458 of the 50,655 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 4,051 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,262 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 145 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Matthiessen State Park?
In LaSalle County, next to Oglesby.
Can you deer hunt on Matthiessen 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 Matthiessen State Park?
5,458 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Matthiessen State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Starved Rock 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.