Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area: hunting and access
Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area is 551 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Iowa County, next to Ridgeway. 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 landState parksRidgeway Pine Relict State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 551 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Iowa County |
| Deer Management Unit | Iowa County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Ridgeway Pine Relict |
| Nearest towns | Ridgeway (next to it), Barneveld (5 mi) and Dodgeville (5 mi) |
What is Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area like?
Ridgeway Pine Relict features a spectacular site with eight separate pine relicts set among soaring sandstone cliffs, numerous rock outcrops, shallow caves and rock shelters. Pine relicts are southern Wisconsin pine forests that have persisted since the last glacier receded some 12,000 years ago when a cooler climate was favorable for the growth of pine forests. As the climate warmed prairie and oak woodlands replaced the pine and today, remnant pine forests remain only on steep slopes and rocky cliffs in the Driftless Area. These rocky outcrops protected the pine remnants from fire and allowed the pines to reach old-growth status. The relict communities are unlike the northern pine forests because they contain both northern and southern plant species. Within the pine relict areas, white pine is generally more abundant than red pine, but there is a good reproduction of both species.
There is also a high diversity of ferns present including bracken, bulblet bladder, marginal wood and interrupted fern. Between the relicts and surrounding them is forested land dominated by white oak with bur and red oak, black cherry, white birch, shagbark and bitternut hickory. Other significant features include sandstone cliffs with shaded and open plant communities, diverse spring runs, sedge meadows and dry-mesic prairie. Ridgeway Pine Relicts is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1998. Iowa County. T6N-R4E, Sections 3, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16. 546 acres. There are two units of the natural area, a large northern unit and a small southern unit. For the northern unit, there are two primary points of access:.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area?
The DNR's property map lists Ridgeway Pine Relict 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 Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area?
Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area lies in Iowa County. The DNR registered 2,948 deer in Iowa County in 2025, against 3,020 in 2024.
| DMU | Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa County | 551 | 2,948 | 3,020 | 3,533 |
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 Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Ridgeway (next to it), Barneveld (5 miles), Dodgeville (5 miles) and Blue Mounds (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 151, US 18 and WI 191.
What other public land is near Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Military Ridge State Trail: 519 acres, next to it
- Smith-Conley Creek SBE Area: 123 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Conley-Lewis Creek SBE Area: 111 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Trout Creek Fishery Area-Iowa: 954 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Governor Dodge State Park: 5,284 acres, 3 miles away
- Cox Hollow Streambank Protection Area: 124 acres, 4.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area
Counting Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area itself, 1,441 of the 30,382 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.7%), 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 | 1,418 |
| State parks | 23 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area?
In Iowa County, next to Ridgeway. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Ridgeway Pine Relict 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 Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area in?
Iowa County.
How much public land is around Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area?
1,441 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Military Ridge State Trail (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Ridgeway Pine Relict 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.