Blue Rock State Forest: hunting and access
Blue Rock State Forest is 4,499 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Muskingum County, next to Philo, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 6,283 deer in Muskingum County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: ODNR's ODNR area open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Division of Wildlife harvest reports, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Land on ODNR's hunting mapLand trusts and other open landBlue Rock State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,499 acres in 16 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Deer harvest unit | Muskingum County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Philo (next to it), Duncan Falls (3 mi) and Pleasant Grove (6 mi) |
What are the rules on Blue Rock State Forest?
ODNR's land layer lists the area as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons and rules.
ODNR's hunting map for the area shows the boundaries, parking and any no-hunting zones.
Deer bag limits in Ohio are set by county; the Division's 2026-27 season list points to the bag limit map.
How many deer are taken around Blue Rock State Forest?
Blue Rock State Forest lies in Muskingum County. Hunters checked 6,283 deer in Muskingum County in 2025-26, against 6,269 in 2024-25.
| County | Blue Rock State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskingum County | 4,499 | 6,283 | 6,269 | 5,789 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
How do you get to Blue Rock State Forest?
Nearest towns: Philo (next to it), Duncan Falls (3 miles), Pleasant Grove (6 miles) and Norwich (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 60, OH 146, OH 284, OH 376 and OH 313.
What other public land is near Blue Rock State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Blue Rock State Park: 301 acres, next to it
- Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area: 50,099 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Meiners Wildlife Area: 36 acres, 3 miles away
- West Blue Rock State Forest: 675 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Jesse Owens Wildlife Area: 4,836 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Jesse Owens State Park: 2,794 acres, 6.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Blue Rock State Forest
Counting Blue Rock State Forest itself, 8,620 of the 56,453 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (15.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 7,237 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,371 |
| Other state land | 12 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Blue Rock State Forest?
In Muskingum County, next to Philo.
Can you hunt on Blue Rock State Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Blue Rock State Forest?
8,620 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Blue Rock State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Blue Rock State Park (next to it).
Get a Ohio hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Ohio 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, Ohio included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: ODNR, Blue Rock State Forest; ODNR lands hunting status.
- Boundary and acres: ODNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status.
- Deer harvest: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
FilledTag is not part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Check ODNR's rules and posted signs before you go.