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2026-27 · State park
A hunter's look at Hartwick Pines State Park
Who runs it, which DMU and bear unit cover it, and the public land and towns around it in Crawford County.
Photo: Werwin15 (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Hartwick Pines State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Hartwick Pines State Park
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Hartwick Pines State Park in short
Classed as a state park with land open to hunting, Hartwick Pines State Park is found in Crawford County. The Northern Lower Peninsula Region of the DNR looks after this part of the northern Lower Peninsula. Day-to-day care of the ground falls to the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. At 8,425 acres it is number 5 by size among the 37 Michigan state parks with a figure on file. Drive north from Grayling for roughly 7 miles.
- On the park hunting map: 8,425 open and 820 closed acres.
From the source page (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS Acres, polygons marked Open or Open-Restricted); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Hartwick Pines State Park
Hartwick Pines State Park: species and bag limits
The record lists no species for Hartwick Pines State Park, so the state seasons for its county, DMU and units apply.
24 species have dated seasons reaching Crawford County (43 rows), White-tailed deer, Black bear, Elk, Wild turkey and Ruffed grouse first.
Local park controls can limit which firearms you carry.
Species from the source (The park hunting layer does not list species; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations unless a restriction is listed.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Hartwick Pines State Park: DMU, BMU and turkey unit
Hartwick Pines State Park falls in Zone 2, Northern Lower Peninsula. Up to 3 antlerless licenses may be used in Crawford County. Early and late antlerless firearm hunts run in Crawford County. Bear hunters here apply for the Red Oak BMU; hunt 0020 runs Sept. 12–22 and Oct. 2–8 with 685 licenses in 2026. Turkey: spring unit NN, fall unit I; spring 2027 dates are not published yet. It is Middle Zone waterfowl ground (Oct 3-Nov 29 and Dec 12-Dec 13). The county lines touch elk unit X.
Deer management units over Hartwick Pines State Park
| DMU | Called | WCO status | Use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 020 | Crawford county | Open | 3 | No APR |
Bear units that cover Hartwick Pines State Park
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | Licenses | Resident points | 2025 registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak | 1 hunt | 685 | 9–10 | 282 |
Turkey units, Hartwick Pines State Park
| Unit | Turkeys | When |
|---|---|---|
| Spring NN | 4,156 | Unit total, spring |
| Fall I | 822 | Unit total so far |
Zones from the DNR 2026 zone layers as recorded in lands.json; DMU status and APR from the Wildlife Conservation Order; use limits from the 2026 deer summary; BMU hunts and quotas from the 2026 bear summary and bear registration data; turkey from the DNR turkey harvest report; CWD lists from the DNR CWD rules. Checked October 22, 2026.
Hartwick Pines State Park on the map with its neighbors
Hartwick Pines State Park gets the large pin; the smaller ones are 10 neighboring public places. The tracts on the map total 160,957 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goose Creek Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 161 | 9.1 mi | west |
| Barker Creek Flooding State Wildilfe Management Area | Flooding or WMA | 49 | 9.3 mi | southeast |
| Conner's Marsh Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 1,052 | 12 mi | east |
| Kirtland's Warbler | Federal WMA | 6,684 | 16 mi | east |
| North Higgins Lake | State park | 166 | 17 mi | south |
| Addis Creek Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 438 | 21 mi | southwest |
| Grass Lake Marsh Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 968 | 21 mi | southwest |
| Mio | Ranger district | 148,711 | 22 mi | southeast |
| Robinson Creek Floodings | Flooding or WMA | 2,572 | 22 mi | south |
| Cannon Creek Flooding No.1 | Flooding or WMA | 156 | 22 mi | southwest |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS (centroid of hunting-open polygons) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Hartwick Pines State Park rules and licenses
Access rules for Hartwick Pines State Park
Check the park hunting map first: hunting and trapping are legal only where it shows open. Bring a Recreation Passport for the vehicle and keep 450 feet from occupied buildings. Parks are closed to hunting unless the DNR opens them, as it has here.
- Standard 450' Safety Zones apply around occupied buildings (not shown).
- Early goose season: closed on this park land.
Blind, stand and baiting law for Hartwick Pines State Park
- Public-land stands: portable, set no earlier than Sept. 1, removed by March 1, labelled with your name and address or Sportcard number, and nothing driven into the bark.
- A portable blind leaves with you each day; a blind of dead natural material needs no ID; a constructed blind needs ID and is not allowed on Zone 3 game areas, parks or recreation areas.
- Michigan law asks for hunter orange from Aug. 15 to April 30, visible from all sides when deer hunting with a firearm; archers in archery season are exempt.
- Report a deer or a turkey within 72 hours of recovery, online or in the Hunt Fish app, and keep the confirmation number.
- Stay 150 yards off occupied buildings with a firearm unless you hold written permission.
- Leave the seed at home; food plots are banned on public land.
- The Lower Peninsula baiting and feeding ban applies here.
- Public-land bear bait: on the ground, no containers.
Hartwick Pines State Park license list
eLicense and the Hunt Fish app sell everything here. Choose a single deer or deer combo license when you buy; antlerless licenses come over the counter.
Access from the source page; public-land stand, blind, safety-zone and food-plot rules from the DNR deer regulations summary; hunter orange from MCL 324.40116; prices from the 2026 license fee tables. Checked October 22, 2026.
Hartwick Pines State Park dates from September to March
Hartwick Pines State Park is in Lower Peninsula Zone 2. The 43 rows below are the dated hunts the DNR summaries put there.
| Game | Season | Where | Begins | Through | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Liberty Hunt | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, early | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Independence Hunt | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular firearm | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, late | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | December firearm | Lower Peninsula | Dec 4, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Dec 7, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (firearm/bait/dogs) | Red Oak BMU | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Period 1, archery | Red Oak BMU | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 8, 2026 | |
| Elk | Hunt period 1 | Elk unit X | Sep 23, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Elk | Hunt period 2 | Elk unit X | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall unit I | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall second part | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Fall | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Oct 29, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Fall | Zone 2 | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Crow | Summer | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Crow | Late winter | Statewide | Feb 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Veterans days | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Youth weekend | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 1 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Management season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Management season | Statewide | Mar 2, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | |
| Coyote | Regular hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Bobcat Unit D | Jan 1, 2027 | Feb 1, 2027 | |
| Feral swine | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Opossum | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Skunk | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Woodchuck | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2026 hunting regulation summaries (deer, bear, elk, turkey, small game, waterfowl and furbearer editions), checked October 22, 2026.
Mandatory reporting numbers for the Hartwick Pines State Park area
Crawford County hunters reported 1,535 deer in 2025, 706 of them antlered. Yearly totals swing between 1,535 and 2,409. 150 deer reported so far in 2026. The 2026 spring turkey count for Crawford County is 90. The DNR reports by county and DMU, not by property; read these as the picture around Hartwick Pines State Park.
Crawford County antlered and antlerless
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 63 | 87 | 150 |
| 2025 | 706 | 829 | 1,535 |
| 2024 | 1,004 | 1,102 | 2,106 |
| 2023 | 977 | 790 | 1,767 |
| 2022 | 1,160 | 1,249 | 2,409 |
2025 DMU figures for Hartwick Pines State Park
| DMU | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 020 | 706 | 829 | 1,535 |
Turkey figures, Crawford County
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Reported, spring 2026 | 90 |
| Fall 2026 to date | 11 |
| Survey, fall 2025 | 52 |
| Fall hunters 2025 | 178 |
Deer from the DNR Harvest Report Summary (mandatory reporting; 2026 season to date); CWD from the DNR CWD testing data; turkeys from the turkey harvest report and the 2025 fall survey. Checked October 22, 2026.
Towns and shops that serve Hartwick Pines State Park hunters
The nearest towns with pages of their own, then the businesses that serve this ground.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayling | Crawford | 6.6 mi | 1,949 | 135,803 |
| Bear Lake | Kalkaska | 13 mi | – | 121,810 |
| Lakes of the North | Antrim | 16 mi | – | 66,163 |
| Roscommon | Roscommon | 19 mi | 990 | 114,926 |
Counties this land touches, with pages: Crawford County.
Gun shops and processors that serve Hartwick Pines State Park
DNR and federal desks that cover Hartwick Pines State Park
The DNR customer service center for Crawford County is DNR Roscommon Customer Service Center, 989-275-5151.
Towns and populations from Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 22, 2026. Call ahead.
Hartwick Pines State Park: shooting hours by date
Every time below comes from the DNR deer table; the B, C and D columns add the offsets printed on the zone map legend.
| Date | Moment | Zone A hours | Zone B hours | Zone C hours | Zone D hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:59 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 7:58 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Independence Hunt | 7:15 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Firearm opener | 6:53 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 6:06 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Firearm close | 7:11 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | December hunts | 7:16 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late archery close | 7:31 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
Zone A times from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources deer hunting hours table, zone offsets from the DNR hunting hours map legend, checked October 22, 2026. Hunting hours for every zone.
DNR range closest to Hartwick Pines State Park
Hartwick Pines State Park has no range; Supply Road Shooting Range is the nearest DNR range, about 34 miles away. Two club options sit alongside.
Takes trap, skeet, shotgun
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Hartwick Pines State Park questions, answered from the data
How does the record classify Hartwick Pines State Park?
State park with land open to hunting, under the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
How many acres of Hartwick Pines State Park are there to hunt?
8,425 acres, the mapped total.
In which part of Michigan does Hartwick Pines State Park lie?
Grayling is closest (7 miles); the ground is in Crawford County.
Is Hartwick Pines State Park open for every species in season?
No species list is published, so every open season applies under the area rules.
What deer management unit is Hartwick Pines State Park in for 2026?
The DMU layer gives 020. Use limit, Crawford County: 3.
Can I hunt bear at Hartwick Pines State Park?
Red Oak BMU. Licenses come by preference-point drawing; the first Red Oak hunt has 685 licenses in 2026.
Can I hunt turkeys at Hartwick Pines State Park?
Yes, unit NN in spring and I in fall.
Which duck zone is Hartwick Pines State Park in?
Waterfowl zone: Middle. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl statewide.
Has CWD been found near Hartwick Pines State Park?
Banned, as everywhere in the Lower Peninsula. No free-ranging deer from this county has tested positive since 2015.
Is hunter pink legal at Hartwick Pines State Park?
Archers in archery seasons are exempt, but not during a firearm deer season.
Where do I report game taken on Hartwick Pines State Park?
Report deer and turkeys within 72 hours through the DNR site or app.
Do stands need ID at Hartwick Pines State Park?
Sept. 1 through the end of the deer seasons.
Does Hartwick Pines State Park need any permit beyond my licenses?
Your Michigan licenses; no landowner permission on public ground.
Before you drive to Hartwick Pines State Park
Use this page as a start: the manager of Hartwick Pines State Park has the final word on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · Michigan DNR: rules; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: YoungSue (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Maslowski, Steve, USFWS (Public domain).