Chelsea State Game Area: hunting and access
Chelsea State Game Area is 803 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Washtenaw County, 2 miles from Chelsea, a state game area by the DNR's map. 803 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 4,412 deer in Washtenaw County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's state game area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR reported deer harvest, 2022 to 2025.
State game and wildlife areasState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landChelsea State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 803 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Washtenaw County |
| Deer harvest unit | Washtenaw County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southeast Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 803 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Chelsea (2 mi), Dexter (4 mi) and Pinckney (8 mi) |
What is Chelsea State Game Area like?
The DNR's map names one unit within Chelsea State Game Area: North.
Counted by FilledTag from the unit names on the DNR's wildlife property map.
What are the rules on Chelsea State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Chelsea State Game Area: 803 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Chelsea State Game Area?
Chelsea State Game Area lies in Washtenaw County. Hunters reported 4,412 deer in Washtenaw County in 2025, against 5,070 in 2024.
| County | Chelsea State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washtenaw County | 803 | 4,412 | 5,070 | 4,505 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the game area alone: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
How do you get to Chelsea State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Chelsea (2 miles), Dexter (4 miles), Pinckney (8 miles) and Barton Hills (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-94 and M 52.
What other public land is near Chelsea State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Pinckney Recreation Area: 11,698 acres, 2 miles away
- Waterloo Recreation Area: 20,463 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Waterloo Wildlife Unit of Waterloo State Recreation Area: 5,784 acres, 7.7 miles away
- Unadilla State Wildlife Area: 1,190 acres, 7.9 miles away
- Goose Lake State Game Area: 203 acres, 8.3 miles away
- Gregory State Game Area: 2,708 acres, 9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Chelsea State Game Area
Counting Chelsea State Game Area itself, 1,875 of the 28,916 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| County, city and regional land | 806 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 567 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 454 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 48 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Chelsea State Game Area?
In Washtenaw County, 2 miles from Chelsea.
How much of Chelsea State Game Area is open to hunting?
803 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Chelsea State Game Area?
1,875 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Chelsea State Game Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records. The closest other DNR area or park is Pinckney Recreation Area (2 miles).
Get a Michigan hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Michigan included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: Michigan DNR wildlife property project areas.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's land ownership records (state forest).
- Deer harvest: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
FilledTag is not part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.