Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area: hunting and access
Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area is 164 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Columbia County, 3 miles from Wyocena. Hunters registered 7,189 deer in Columbia 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther county, city and regional landRocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 164 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Deer Management Unit | Columbia County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Rocky Run Oak Savanna |
| Nearest towns | Wyocena (3 mi), Dekorra (5 mi) and Poynette (5 mi) |
What is Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area like?
Rocky Run Savanna occupies widely differing topography on a south-facing slope above Rocky Run Creek. The eastern portion is gently rolling, while the west is very steep and dissected containing two sheer-walled box canyons cut through the Cambrian sandstone. As the topography varies so does the bur, white, and black oak savanna canopy structure. The canopy is open on the upper slopes and nearly closed on the relatively flat lower slope with open-grown oaks and scattered groves of oak, hickory, black cherry, and red cedar interspersed with prairie. Dominant grasses are little blue-stem, Indian grass, and side-oats grama. The variation in topography, shading, and soils provides for a mosaic of ground layer species. More than 100 species with prairie affinities have been recorded including many rare plants. The dry, sandy conditions also support a notable concentration of butterflies.
Within Rocky Run Fishery Area, Columbia County. T11N-R9E, Section 1. T11N-R10E, Sections 5, 6. T12N-R10E, Sections 31, 32. 455 acres. From the intersection of State Highways 16 and 22 south of Wyocena, go south on 22 1.9 miles to the Rocky Run Fishery Area parking area west of the road. Walk west and south on an access lane 0.7-mile into the area. Or continue south on 22 for another 1.3 miles, then west on County B for 1.5 miles, then north on Dunning Road for 0.5 miles to a Rocky Run Fishery Area parking area east of the road. Walk east along the access lane, then north across Rocky Run Creek into the natural area. Or continue north on Dunning Road 0.7 miles to the DNR parking area. Walk east across Fishery lands 0.5 miles to the natural area.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area?
The DNR's property map lists Rocky Run Oak Savanna 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 Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area?
Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area lies in Columbia County. The DNR registered 7,189 deer in Columbia County in 2025, against 7,176 in 2024.
| DMU | Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | 164 | 7,189 | 7,176 | 6,629 |
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 Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Wyocena (3 miles), Dekorra (5 miles), Poynette (5 miles) and Rio (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 16, US 51 and WI 22.
What other public land is near Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Rocky Run Creek Fishery Area: 741 acres, next to it
- Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Columbia: 2,281 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Swan Lake Wildlife Area: 2,502 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Poynette Game Farm: 625 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Hinkson Creek Fishery Area: 235 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Rowan Creek Fishery Area: 651 acres, 4.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area
Counting Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area itself, 1,347 of the 22,998 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.9%), 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 | 907 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 440 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area?
In Columbia County, 3 miles from Wyocena. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Rocky Run Oak Savanna 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 Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area in?
Columbia County.
How much public land is around Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area?
1,347 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Rocky Run Creek Fishery Area (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Rocky Run Oak Savanna 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.