Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area: hunting and access
Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area is 632 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Oneida County, 8 miles from Rhinelander. Hunters registered 1,155 deer in DMU 120 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 forestNational forestOther federal landOther county, city and regional landEnterprise Hemlocks State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 632 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Oneida County |
| Deer Management Unit | DMU 120 |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Enterprise Hemlocks |
| Nearest towns | Rhinelander (8 mi), Elcho (9 mi) and Summit Lake (12 mi) |
What is Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area like?
Enterprise Hemlocks features stands of mature mesic forest heavily dominated by hemlock with some very old trees present. In the mid-1980s, road crews cut 13 hemlocks for a road improvement project. Upon inspection, a DNR wildlife biologist concluded that four trees were over 200 years in age. One tree had a year of origin of 1720 leading to the conclusion that this area may have escaped harvest during the logging era. Small boggy conifer swamps and ephemeral ponds are scattered throughout the site in kettle depressions. Larger wetland areas are dominated by extensive acreage of black spruce muskeg and white cedar swamp. Rare plants include the showy lady's-slipper orchid and the small yellow lady's-slipper orchid. The surrounding county forestlands also contain good examples of these community types, including northern hardwoods.
Oneida County. T35N-R9E, Sections 1, 11, 12, 14, 15. 601 acres. Access is across Oneida County lands. The best forest is found on the two easternmost 80-acre tracts. To reach the northern 80: from the junction of U.S. Highway 8 and County G in Rhinelander, go south on G 8.3 miles to a parking area at the intersection of North (Sugarbush) Road. Walk 0.2 miles north to the southern boundary of the tract. For the southern 80: from the parking area, follow the snowmobile trail (Route 15) west 0.3 miles, then south about 0.6 miles to the tract. Enterprise Hemlocks is owned by: The Board of Commissioners and the Wisconsin DNR.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area?
The DNR's property map lists Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
How many deer are taken around Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area?
Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area lies in DMU 120. The DNR registered 1,155 deer in DMU 120 in 2025.
| DMU | Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| DMU 120 | 632 | 1,155 |
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 Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Rhinelander (8 miles), Elcho (9 miles), Summit Lake (12 miles) and Post Lake (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 47, US 8 and WI 17.
What other public land is near Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Pelican River Forest Conservation Easement: 67,444 acres, next to it
Public land within 3 miles of Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area
Counting Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area itself, 21,261 of the 35,699 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (59.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| County forest | 15,641 |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 5,620 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area?
In Oneida County, 8 miles from Rhinelander. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area 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 Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area in?
DMU 120.
How much public land is around Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area?
21,261 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Pelican River Forest Conservation Easement (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, Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area; 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.