Trail of Tears State Forest: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 4,628 acres of Trail of Tears State Forest open to hunting in Union and Jackson counties, 3 miles from Alto Pass. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: open at the site and county permit. Hunters took 2,109 deer in Union 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 forestOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landTrail of Tears State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,628 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Union County and Jackson County |
| Deer harvest unit | Union County, Jackson County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant and Woodcock |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | open at the site and county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | open at the site and county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | open at the site and county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state forest |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Alto Pass (3 mi), Jonesboro (4 mi) and Cobden (4 mi) |
What is Trail of Tears State Forest like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 4 hunting areas: Ralph Clover, South, Wenger Farm, North.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Trail of Tears State Forest?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant and woodcock for Trail of Tears State Forest.
What are the rules on Trail of Tears State Forest?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; open at the site and county permit, depending on the hunting area for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader and turkey spring; county permit for turkey fall 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 Trail of Tears State Forest?
Trail of Tears State Forest lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 2,109 deer in Union County in 2025-26, against 2,162 in 2024-25.
| County | Trail of Tears State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 4,566 | 2,109 | 2,162 | 2,098 |
| Jackson County | 62 | 3,340 | 3,403 | 3,220 |
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 Trail of Tears State Forest?
Nearest towns: Alto Pass (3 miles), Jonesboro (4 miles), Cobden (4 miles) and Anna (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 3, IL 146, IL 127, US 51 and IL 34.
What other public land is near Trail of Tears State Forest?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area: 6,095 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Guthrie Cave State Natural Area: 81 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,758 acres, 7 miles away
- Giant City State Park: 2,949 acres, 7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Trail of Tears State Forest
Counting Trail of Tears State Forest itself, 31,630 of the 69,898 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (45.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 25,562 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 5,785 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 283 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Trail of Tears State Forest?
In Union and Jackson counties, 3 miles from Alto Pass.
Can you deer hunt on Trail of Tears State Forest?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, open at the site and county permit; muzzleloader, open at the site and county permit.
How much public land is around Trail of Tears State Forest?
31,630 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Trail of Tears State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area (1.3 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.