William W. Powers State Recreation Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 507 acres of William W. Powers State Recreation Area open to hunting in Cook County, next to Burnham. Deer archery: open at the site. Hunters took 149 deer in Cook 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 landWilliam W. Powers State Recreation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 507 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Deer harvest unit | Cook County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state recreation area |
| IDNR region | 2 |
| Nearest towns | Burnham (next to it), Dolton (4 mi) and Calumet City (4 mi) |
What is William W. Powers State Recreation Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 3 hunting areas: South, Northwest Deer Hunting Zone, Wolf Lake.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on William W. Powers State Recreation Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery) and waterfowl (blinds) for William W. Powers State Recreation Area.
What are the rules on William W. Powers State Recreation Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery.
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 William W. Powers State Recreation Area?
William W. Powers State Recreation Area lies in Cook County. Hunters took 149 deer in Cook County in 2025-26, against 128 in 2024-25.
| County | William W. Powers State Recreation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 506 | 149 | 128 | 157 |
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 William W. Powers State Recreation Area?
Nearest towns: Burnham (next to it), Dolton (4 miles), Calumet City (4 miles) and Riverdale (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-94, I-90, IL 83, US 41 and US 20.
What other public land is near William W. Powers State Recreation Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Lake Calumet Nature Center: 400 acres, 2.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of William W. Powers State Recreation Area
Counting William W. Powers State Recreation Area itself, 3,645 of the 26,649 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,627 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 1,061 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 857 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 100 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is William W. Powers State Recreation Area?
In Cook County, next to Burnham.
Can you deer hunt on William W. Powers State Recreation Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site.
How much public land is around William W. Powers State Recreation Area?
3,645 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, William W. Powers State Recreation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Lake Calumet Nature Center (2.1 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.