Washington County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Washington County has 20,134 acres of public land open to the public, 7.4% of the county, the largest share county, city and regional land (9,851 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 6 wildlife management areas here covering 3,501 acres, the largest Keystone Woods WMA (1,841 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 601 (2,588 deer in 2025), DPA 236 (2,388 deer in 2025) and DPA 605 (3,115 deer in 2025).
Data updated October 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1. Wildlife Management Areas and Walk-In Access: the DNR's map layers, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasU.S. Army Corps of Engineers landOther federal landState parksNational park landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landWashington CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 271,035 acres (423 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 7.4% (20,134 acres) |
| WMAs | 6 (3,501 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 601, DPA 236, DPA 605 |
| Towns | Woodbury, Scandia, Cottage Grove, Hugo, North St. Paul and South St. Paul |
How much public hunting land is in Washington County?
20,134 of the county's 271,035 acres are public land open to the public (7.4%). 4,485 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Washington County |
|---|---|---|
| County, city and regional land | 9,851 | 3.6% |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,527 | 1.3% |
| State parks | 3,333 | 1.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,302 | 0.5% |
| National park land | 1,163 | 0.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 919 | 0.3% |
| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land | 35 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 20,134 | 7.4% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). State wildlife management areas, state forest land and national forests are open to hunting in season; refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks allow hunting only in special hunts; national park land is closed to hunting; city and county parks set their own rules. PAD-US 4.1 leaves out most of the tax-forfeited land Minnesota counties manage, much of it open to hunting, so the public land here may be more than shown; the county land department has the maps.
The largest public areas in Washington County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Lake Elmo (2,183 acres), Lower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (1,168 acres), Belwin Conservancy (601 acres), Cg Ravine Regional Park (505 acres), Wild Wings Of Oneka Game Farm (503 acres), Sunfish Lake Park (314 acres), Pine Point Regional Park (260 acres), HealthEast Sports Center (215 acres), Schilling Park / Bixby Park (186 acres) and Hamlet Park (152 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Washington County?
6, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Keystone Woods WMA | 1,841 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, bear and small game |
| Hardwood Creek WMA | 583 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Bayport WMA | 452 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Paul Hugo Farms WMA | 358 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Lamprey Pass WMA | 243 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Rutstrum WMA | 24 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese and small game |
How many deer are taken in Washington County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Washington County lies in 3 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 601 (62.2% of the county). Each figure below is for the whole permit area.
| DPA | Share of the county | Deer harvested in the whole DPA | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 601 | 62.2% | 2,588 | 2025 |
| DPA 236 | 37.6% | 2,388 | 2025 |
| DPA 605 | 0.1% | 3,115 | 2025 |
Harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report). Share of the county measured by FilledTag from the DNR's deer permit areas and the Census county line.
How do you get around Washington County?
Highways: US 61 (about 42 miles in the county), MN 95 (about 34 miles in the county), US 10 (about 27 miles in the county), I-94 (about 22 miles in the county) and US 12 (about 22 miles in the county). Towns: Woodbury, Scandia, Cottage Grove, Hugo, Forest Lake, Afton, Grant and Lake Elmo.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Washington County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Lake Elmo (2,183 acres in the county), Lower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (1,168 acres in the county) and Belwin Conservancy (601 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is county, city and regional land, 9,851 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Washington County?
Keystone Woods WMA, with 1,841 acres inside the county. The county has 6 WMAs in all.
Does Washington County have Walk-In Access land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access map. The program is mostly in western and southern Minnesota.
Which deer permit area is Washington County in?
DPA 601 (62.2%), DPA 236 (37.6%) and DPA 605 (0.1%). Bag limits and firearms dates follow the permit area.
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Where these numbers come from
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Wildlife Management Areas: Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible. Walk-In Access: Minnesota DNR Walk-In Access sites.
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
- County line: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads.
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps.
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