Resthaven Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Resthaven Wildlife Area is 2,216 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Erie and Sandusky counties, next to Castalia, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 1,161 deer in Erie 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 mapOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landResthaven Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,216 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Erie County and Sandusky County |
| Deer harvest unit | Erie County, Sandusky County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Castalia (next to it), Crystal Rock (next to it) and Bay View (2 mi) |
What are the rules on Resthaven Wildlife Area?
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 Resthaven Wildlife Area?
Resthaven Wildlife Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 1,161 deer in Erie County in 2025-26, against 1,178 in 2024-25.
| County | Resthaven Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County | 2,150 | 1,161 | 1,178 | 1,015 |
| Sandusky County | 66 | 1,485 | 1,364 | 1,181 |
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 Resthaven Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Castalia (next to it), Crystal Rock (next to it), Bay View (2 miles) and Whites Landing (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 2, I-90, I-80, OH 269 and OH 101.
What other public land is near Resthaven Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Castalia Fish Hatchery: 90 acres, next to it
- Willow Point Wildlife Area: 432 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Moxley Wildlife Area: 381 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area: 3,221 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Dempsey Sandusky Bay Wildlife Area: 68 acres, 6.2 miles away
- West Harbor Wildlife Area: 77 acres, 6.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Resthaven Wildlife Area
Counting Resthaven Wildlife Area itself, 4,056 of the 36,691 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 3,120 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 671 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 234 |
| Other state land | 31 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Resthaven Wildlife Area?
In Erie and Sandusky counties, next to Castalia.
Can you hunt on Resthaven Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Resthaven Wildlife Area?
4,056 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Resthaven Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Castalia Fish Hatchery (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, Resthaven Wildlife Area; 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.