Hardwood Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Hardwood Creek Wildlife Management Area is 583 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Washington County, near Forest Lake, inside Deer Permit Area 236. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 2,388 deer in DPA 236 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's wildlife management area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landOther federal landCounty, city and regional landHardwood Creek WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 583 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 236 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Forest Lake |
| DNR area office | North Metro |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Forest Lake (2 mi), Hugo (4 mi) and Scandia (4 mi) |
What is Hardwood Creek WMA like?
Hardwood Creek WMA totals 583 acres in two parcels. Management efforts emphasize maintenance of small planted prairies that make up about 10% of the area. The remainder of the area is primarily wooded wetlands with wooded upland islands.
Hardwood Creek WMA is part of the largest complex of native habitat remaining in Washington County. A 60 acre tamarack bog and high quality maple-basswood forest are the highlights of this area. The large wooded swamp offers opportunities to separate yourself from other hunters in the fall and a place for cross county skiing or snowshoeing in solitude in the winter. A snowmobile trail crosses the south end of both parcels.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Hardwood Creek WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Hardwood Creek WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Hardwood Creek WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Hardwood Creek WMA: The NW portion of the west unit of this WMA, adjacent to the parking lot, is closed to the discharge of firearms. Look for signs posted indicating this boundary.
How many deer are taken around Hardwood Creek WMA?
Hardwood Creek WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 236. The DNR registered 2,388 deer in DPA 236 in 2025, against 2,085 in 2024.
| DPA | Hardwood Creek WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 236 | 583 | 2,388 | 2,085 | 1,986 |
Harvest for the whole deer permit area, not the WMA alone: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
How do you get to Hardwood Creek WMA?
1 mile south of Forest Lake on Hwy 61, then 1 1/2 miles east on Co Rd 50, then 1/2 mile south on Harrow Ave, then 1/2 mile east on 195th St.
Wheelchair access is limited to gravel parking lots on the north of each parcel.
Nearest towns: Forest Lake (2 miles), Hugo (4 miles), Scandia (4 miles) and Centerville (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-35, US 8, US 61 and MN 97.
What other public land is near Hardwood Creek WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Keystone Woods WMA: 1,841 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Paul Hugo Farms WMA: 358 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Lamprey Pass WMA: 1,277 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Carlos Avery WMA: 24,618 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Rutstrum WMA: 24 acres, 7.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hardwood Creek WMA
Counting Hardwood Creek WMA itself, 1,324 of the 29,529 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,057 |
| County, city and regional land | 267 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hardwood Creek WMA?
In Washington County, near Forest Lake. The DNR's directions: 1 mile south of Forest Lake on Hwy 61, then 1 1/2 miles east on Co Rd 50, then 1/2 mile south on Harrow Ave, then 1/2 mile east on 195th St.
Which deer permit area is Hardwood Creek WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 236. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Hardwood Creek WMA?
1,324 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hardwood Creek WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 5 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Keystone Woods WMA (2.2 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota 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, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Hardwood Creek WMA; Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.