Hocking State Forest: hunting and access
Hocking State Forest is 9,363 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Hocking County, 3 miles from Rockbridge, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 2,643 deer in Hocking 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 mapNational forestOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landHocking State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 9,363 acres in 15 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Hocking County |
| Deer harvest unit | Hocking County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land and easement |
| Nearest towns | Rockbridge (3 mi), Sugar Grove (5 mi) and Laurelville (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Hocking State Forest?
ODNR's land layer lists hunting here as restricted: hunting is limited by place, season or permit, and the area's hunting map shows where.
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 Hocking State Forest?
Hocking State Forest lies in Hocking County. Hunters checked 2,643 deer in Hocking County in 2025-26, against 2,929 in 2024-25.
| County | Hocking State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hocking County | 9,363 | 2,643 | 2,929 | 2,573 |
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 Hocking State Forest?
Nearest towns: Rockbridge (3 miles), Sugar Grove (5 miles), Laurelville (5 miles) and West Logan (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 374, OH 56, US 33, OH 180 and OH 664.
What other public land is near Hocking State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Hocking Hills State Park: 2,499 acres, next to it
- Lake Logan State Park: 717 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Tar Hollow State Forest: 16,425 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Tar Hollow State Park: 757 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 13 Wildlife Area: 68 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Zaleski State Forest: 28,637 acres, 7.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hocking State Forest
Counting Hocking State Forest itself, 12,597 of the 106,929 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 11,865 |
| Other state land | 620 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 71 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 41 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hocking State Forest?
In Hocking County, 3 miles from Rockbridge.
Can you hunt on Hocking State Forest?
Yes, with restrictions: ODNR's layer lists hunting here as restricted. The area's hunting map shows where.
How much public land is around Hocking State Forest?
12,597 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hocking State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Hocking Hills 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, Hocking 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.