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6 records · 19,222 acres
Illinois State Forests
The six Illinois state forests that appear in the IDNR hunting-area set: acres, counties, seasons offered, site rules and 2025-26 hunter trips.
Photo: Forest Service, Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
How the state forests records are laid out
Illinois has six state forests in this guide, and they are among the larger blocks of timbered ground in the state. It holds 6 records (6 state forest); together they list 19,222 acres in 6 counties. Of the 6 records with a season grid, 6 offer archery deer, 6 offer firearm deer and 6 offer spring turkey. 5 of 6 records are flagged as quota hunts. The most-visited record here in 2025-26 was Sand Ridge State Forest at 3,957 trips.
The full list of state forests
Look up a record among the 6 below by name or county.
| Place | Kind | Counties | Acres | Seasons open | Trips 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big River State Forest | State forest | Henderson | 2,970 | 16 of 22 | 615 |
| Hidden Springs State Forest | State forest | Shelby | 963 | 18 of 21 | 1,132 |
| Lowden-Miller State Forest | State forest | Ogle | 2,225 | 6 of 18 | 1,128 |
| Sand Ridge State Forest | State forest | Mason | 6,600 | 23 of 25 | 3,957 |
| Spoon River State Forest | State forest | Knox | 1,680 | 17 of 21 | 779 |
| Trail of Tears State Forest | State forest | Union | 4,784 | 15 of 21 | 449 |
Which seasons the state forests offer
6 of the records here carry a season grid, and the table counts how many of them offer each season line. The most widely offered line is deer – archery (6 of 6), and the least is deer – special cwd (1 of 6).
| Season line | Offered | Not offered | Share offering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer – Archery | 6 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Deer – Firearm | 6 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Deer – Late-Winter Antlerless | 3 | 3 | 50 percent |
| Deer – Muzzleloader | 4 | 2 | 67 percent |
| Deer – Special CWD | 1 | 5 | 17 percent |
| Deer – Youth Firearm | 5 | 1 | 83 percent |
| Turkey – Fall Archery | 6 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Turkey – Fall Shotgun | 4 | 2 | 67 percent |
| Turkey – Spring | 6 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Turkey – Youth Spring | 5 | 1 | 83 percent |
| Waterfowl – Ducks, Coots and Mergansers | 2 | 3 | 40 percent |
| Waterfowl – Geese | 2 | 3 | 40 percent |
| Waterfowl – Snipe and Rail | 5 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Waterfowl – Teal | 1 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Waterfowl – Youth | 1 | 4 | 20 percent |
| Upland game birds | 4 | 2 | 67 percent |
| Dove | 5 | 1 | 83 percent |
| Rabbit | 5 | 1 | 83 percent |
| Squirrel | 6 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Woodcock | 5 | 1 | 83 percent |
| Furbearer hunting | 4 | 1 | 80 percent |
| Furbearer trapping | 2 | 2 | 50 percent |
| Crow | 1 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Controlled pheasant hunting | 1 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Falconry | 1 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Disabled hunter hunt (Disabled Outdoor Opportunity Firearm) | 1 | 0 | 100 percent |
| Youth upland game birds | 1 | 0 | 100 percent |
Counted from the IDNR Hunt Illinois fact sheets in lands.json; checked November 13, 2026.
The state forests on one map
6 pins appear below, one per record with coordinates.
Regional split of the state forests
IDNR files each site under one of five regions; the table counts these 6 records by region.
| IDNR region | Records | Acres listed | Quota-hunt records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | 3 | 6,875 | 3 |
| Northeast | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| East Central | 1 | 963 | 1 |
| West Central | 1 | 6,600 | 1 |
| South | 1 | 4,784 | 0 |
Top state forests by hunter trips
6 of the 6 records have a row in the 2025-26 report; here are the eight with the most trips.
| Place | Hunter trips | Animals reported | Deer reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Ridge State Forest | 3,957 | 1,259 | 136 |
| Hidden Springs State Forest | 1,132 | 46 | 33 |
| Lowden-Miller State Forest | 1,128 | 272 | 45 |
| Spoon River State Forest | 779 | 136 | 37 |
| Big River State Forest | 615 | 57 | 43 |
| Trail of Tears State Forest | 449 | 119 | 23 |
IDNR Public Hunting Areas Report 2025-26 (report PDF); checked November 13, 2026.
Quotes from the state forests sources
Each card gives the managers' own wording for one of the 6 records.
Sand Ridge State Forest
The site requires the use of a windshield card , displayed on the vehicle dashboard, to report hunting effort and harvest by 15 February.
Trail of Tears State Forest
All hunters must sign in, sign out, and report harvest at the registration boxes before leaving the site.
Big River State Forest
Site requires use of windshield card displayed on vehicle dashboard to report hunting effort and harvest by 15 February. Park in designated lots only.
Lowden-Miller State Forest
Firearm hunting (deer, squirrel or turkey) is not allowed in the restricted area adjacent to the Boy Scout Camp. The area is marked on the map and is posted. Hunters may use forest lanes for access but not for parking vehicles.
Spoon River State Forest
The site requires the use of a windshield card , displayed on the vehicle dashboard, to report hunting effort and harvest by 15 February. Hunters under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Hidden Springs State Forest
Site requires use of windshield card displayed on vehicle dashboard to report hunting effort and harvest by 15 February. Only one tree stand or ground blind is allowed.
Wording from each record’s source page; checked November 13, 2026.
Open fall hardwoods near Pounds Hollow in the Shawnee National ForestPhoto: Forest Service, Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
A gravel forest road through early fall woods in the Shawnee National ForestPhoto: Forest Service, Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
A lone oak in fall color over snow in a DuPage County forest preservePhoto: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The state forests, answered
How many state forests can I read about here?
It counts 6 records in 6 counties.
What is the biggest record here?
Sand Ridge State Forest has the most listed acres (6,600). Sand Ridge State Forest page.
Do I need a permit for these places?
Site permits or drawings appear on 5 of the 6 records. Lottery guide.
How are the season lines on each page decided?
Source pages mark lines open or closed; we show them unchanged.
Is Sunday open at the state forests?
Neither the Digest nor IDNR pages mention Sundays; confirm with the site office.