Potawatomi State Park: hunting and access
Potawatomi State Park is 1,098 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Door County, 2 miles from Sturgeon Bay. Hunters registered 4,302 deer in Door 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 landState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landPotawatomi State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,098 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Door County |
| Deer Management Unit | Door County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Potawatomi |
| Nearest towns | Sturgeon Bay (2 mi), Little Sturgeon (7 mi) and Forestville (10 mi) |
What is Potawatomi State Park like?
Potawatomi State Park on the shore of Sturgeon Bay in southern Door County, has 1,200 acres of gently rolling upland terrain bordered by steep slopes and rugged limestone cliffs. The park is named in honor of the tribe that inhabited Green Bay’s shores and islands when Europeans first settled the area. The tribe called themselves Bo-De-Wad-Me which means "keeper of the fire.".
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Potawatomi State Park?
The DNR's property map lists Potawatomi 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 Potawatomi State Park?
Potawatomi State Park lies in Door County. The DNR registered 4,302 deer in Door County in 2025, against 4,225 in 2024.
| DMU | Potawatomi State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door County | 1,095 | 4,302 | 4,225 | 3,793 |
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 Potawatomi State Park?
Nearest towns: Sturgeon Bay (2 miles), Little Sturgeon (7 miles), Forestville (10 miles) and Egg Harbor (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 42 and WI 57.
What other public land is near Potawatomi State Park?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Ahnapee State Trail: 591 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Big Creek State Habitat Area: 20 acres, 3 miles away
- Strawberry Creek State Habitat Area: 74 acres, 4 miles away
- Gardner Swamp Wildlife Area: 1,163 acres, 7.7 miles away
- Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area: 473 acres, 8.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Potawatomi State Park
Counting Potawatomi State Park itself, 1,356 of the 34,813 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.9%), 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 | 1,124 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 149 |
| State parks | 83 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Potawatomi State Park?
In Door County, 2 miles from Sturgeon Bay. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Potawatomi 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 Potawatomi State Park in?
Door County.
How much public land is around Potawatomi State Park?
1,356 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Potawatomi State Park included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Ahnapee State Trail (2.8 miles).
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, Potawatomi 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.