Blue Mound State Park: hunting and access
Blue Mound State Park is 1,163 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Iowa and Dane counties, next to Blue Mounds. Hunters registered 2,948 deer in Iowa County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's DNR property data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics.
State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR landCounty forestState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landBlue Mound State ParkCounty lineHighway
| Size | 1,163 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Iowa County and Dane County |
| Deer Management Unit | Iowa County, Dane County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Blue Mound |
| Nearest towns | Blue Mounds (next to it), Barneveld (2 mi) and Mount Horeb (5 mi) |
What is Blue Mound State Park like?
Perched atop the highest point in southern Wisconsin, Blue Mound State Park offers spectacular views and unique geological features. A swimming pool is available during summer. Over 20 miles of scenic hiking, off-road biking and cross-country ski trails, as well as a family campground, access to the Military Ridge State Trail with bike-in campsites and a rustic cabin for people with disabilities make Blue Mound a popular destination year-round.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Blue Mound State Park?
The DNR's property map lists Blue Mound State Park as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
In Wisconsin state parks and recreation areas, hunting is limited to the seasons and the parts of the property the DNR sets for each one; the DNR's page has the details.
How many deer are taken around Blue Mound State Park?
Blue Mound State Park lies in 2 deer management units. The DNR registered 2,948 deer in Iowa County in 2025, against 3,020 in 2024.
| DMU | Blue Mound State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa County | 956 | 2,948 | 3,020 | 3,533 |
| Dane County | 207 | 4,438 | 4,403 | 4,461 |
Harvest for the whole deer management unit, not the property alone: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
How do you get to Blue Mound State Park?
Nearest towns: Blue Mounds (next to it), Barneveld (2 miles), Mount Horeb (5 miles) and Ridgeway (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 151, US 18 and WI 78.
What other public land is near Blue Mound State Park?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Military Ridge State Trail: 519 acres, next to it
- Trout Creek Fishery Area-Iowa: 954 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Black Earth Creek Fishery Area: 441 acres, 5.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Blue Mound State Park
Counting Blue Mound State Park itself, 2,702 of the 30,196 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 1,492 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,046 |
| County forest | 101 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 40 |
| State parks | 23 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Blue Mound State Park?
In Iowa and Dane counties, next to Blue Mounds. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Blue Mound State Park open to hunting?
Yes. The DNR's property map lists it as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Posted refuges or closed areas, where there are any, are marked on site.
Which deer management unit is Blue Mound State Park in?
Iowa County (956 acres) and Dane County (207 acres).
How much public land is around Blue Mound State Park?
2,702 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Blue Mound State Park included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Military Ridge State Trail (next to it).
Get a Wisconsin hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Wisconsin 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, Wisconsin included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Blue Mound State Park; Wisconsin DNR managed lands open to hunting.
- 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: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
FilledTag is not part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.
Wisconsin hunting Iowa County Dane County Iowa County Dane County