Moraine Hills State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,526 acres of Moraine Hills State Park open to hunting in McHenry County, next to Holiday Hills. Deer archery: site permit from the site office. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,139 deer in McHenry 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 landMoraine Hills State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,526 acres in 15 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | McHenry County |
| Deer harvest unit | McHenry County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | site permit from the site office |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | site permit from the site office |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 2 |
| Nearest towns | Holiday Hills (next to it), Lakemoor (next to it) and Island Lake (next to it) |
What is Moraine Hills State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 8 hunting areas: Main Park South, Zone A, Zone B, Zone C, Main Park Area, Zone D, Zone E, Zone F.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Moraine Hills State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery and firearm), turkey (fall archery) and waterfowl (walk-in) for Moraine Hills State Park.
What are the rules on Moraine Hills State Park?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: site permit from the site office for deer archery and turkey fall archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm.
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 Moraine Hills State Park?
Moraine Hills State Park lies in McHenry County. Hunters took 1,139 deer in McHenry County in 2025-26, against 1,177 in 2024-25.
| County | Moraine Hills State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McHenry County | 1,526 | 1,139 | 1,177 | 1,006 |
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 Moraine Hills State Park?
Nearest towns: Holiday Hills (next to it), Lakemoor (next to it), Island Lake (next to it) and Burtons Bridge (next to it). Highways within 5 miles: US 12, IL 59, IL 120, IL 31 and IL 176.
What other public land is near Moraine Hills State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area: 129 acres, next to it
- Volo Bog State Natural Area: 833 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Bull Valley State Fish and Wildlife Area: 127 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Chain O' Lakes State Park: 4,437 acres, 6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Moraine Hills State Park
Counting Moraine Hills State Park itself, 5,091 of the 37,803 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,469 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 1,586 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 609 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 427 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Moraine Hills State Park?
In McHenry County, next to Holiday Hills.
Can you deer hunt on Moraine Hills State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, site permit from the site office; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Moraine Hills State Park?
5,091 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Moraine Hills State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area (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.