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State park in Houston County
Beaver Creek Valley State Park hunting, season by season
754 acres of public land open to hunters in Houston County, with DPA 649 deer dates.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Beaver Creek Valley State Park
- Highway 76 Spring parkingParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 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.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park in brief, from the agency file
754 acres of Houston County belong to Beaver Creek Valley State Park. Beaver Creek Valley State Park is Houston County’s only listed state park. For deer it falls in DPA 649, set at 5-deer limit for 2026.
Management: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Hunting is limited to the DNR special hunt dates and hunt-map areas; the rest of the year the park is closed to hunting.
Game listed: deer.
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Beaver Creek Valley State Park pinned among nearby tracts
Yucatan WMA lies 7.8 mi northwest of Beaver Creek Valley State Park, the nearest of 8 public areas within 45 miles.
| Area | Type | Acres | DPA | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yucatan WMA | WMA | 967 | 649 | 7.8 mi | northwest |
| Chisholm Valley WMA | WMA | 80 | 649 | 9.0 mi | northwest |
| Choice WMA | WMA | 1,664 | 648, 649 | 9.2 mi | west |
| Ferndale Ridge WMA | WMA | 658 | 649 | 10 mi | northwest |
| Mound Prairie SNA | SNA | 262 | 649 | 11 mi | northeast |
| Shattuck Creek AMA | AMA | 3.3 | 648 | 11 mi | west |
| So. Fork Root River AMA | AMA | 25 | 648 | 12 mi | west |
| Mound Prairie WMA | WMA | 437 | 646, 649 | 12 mi | northeast |
Points: DNR state parks management units layer (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Rules for hunting Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Site rules for Beaver Creek Valley State Park, condensed from the record.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hunting | Hunt dates only |
| Hunt areas | Hunt map only |
| Ammunition | Lead-free required |
| LIMITED hunts | Visitors share the park |
Sources: record; booklet: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Managed hunts at Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Special hunts on Beaver Creek Valley State Park this season, from the DNR special deer hunt tables.
| Hunt | Category | Permits | Dates | Bag | Deer allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 918 | Adult muzzleloader, permit required | 25 | Dec 5-6, 2026 | 3 | Either-Sex |
| Hunt | Begins | Ends | Park open? | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muzzleloader | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | LIMITED | Map |
DNR special deer hunts and DNR state park hunts; checked October 28, 2026. Special hunts and lotteries.
Deer seasons on Beaver Creek Valley State Park
600-series DPA 649 carries the 5-deer limit designation this year. With bonus permits, a hunter can fill the 5-deer limit in DPA 649.
| Season | Starts | Ends | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Youth deer | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Early antlerless | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Firearms, 200 series | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Late southeast firearms | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Muzzleloader | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Late CWD hunt | Dec 18, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 |
CWD management zone: DPA 649 is inside it. DNR adds a Dec. 18-20 CWD hunt here. DPA 649 raises the buck limit to three. Dispose of carcasses under the DNR rule. Size of DPA 649: 499 square miles. Houston and Fillmore share DPA 649.
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Deer harvest around Beaver Creek Valley State Park (DPA 649)
The whole of DPA 649 gave up 3,806 deer in 2025; the DNR publishes no figure for Beaver Creek Valley State Park itself.
| Year | Adult male | Rest | Harvest | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,665 | 2,141 | 3,806 | 7.74 |
| 2024 | 1,567 | 1,888 | 3,455 | 7.02 |
| 2023 | 1,539 | 1,844 | 3,383 | 6.88 |
| 2022 | 1,376 | 1,891 | 3,267 | 6.64 |
| 2021 | 1,580 | 1,840 | 3,420 | 6.95 |
| 2020 | 1,783 | 2,071 | 3,854 | 7.83 |
| 2019 | 1,723 | 2,048 | 3,771 | 7.66 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park nearby towns
Caledonia is the closest town to Beaver Creek Valley State Park, about 4.2 mi away. For questions, the Altura DNR office is 39 mi from Beaver Creek Valley State Park.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caledonia | Houston | 2,767 | 4.2 mi | east |
| Spring Grove | Houston | 1,202 | 6.7 mi | southwest |
| Houston | Houston | 970 | 7.4 mi | north |
| Eitzen | Houston | 262 | 11 mi | southeast |
| Mabel | Fillmore | 705 | 13 mi | southwest |
Towns from the 2024 Census gazetteer and population estimates; offices and businesses from services.json (DNR and business listings, chain stores and license agents left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 28, 2026.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park: Houston County facts
Counting Beaver Creek Valley State Park, Houston County has 12 listed public areas. Houston County is one of the feeding ban counties. Check the Houston County shotgun ordinance (shotgun-only ordinance) before bringing a rifle. The no-quota bear area covers Houston County. Houston County turkey hunters declare area 501. County questions go to Whitewater WMA Area Wildlife Office, Altura. 13 places in Houston County are closed to hunting, such as Badger Creek Aquatic Management Area.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Range time on the drive to Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Three ranges near Beaver Creek Valley State Park follow, starting with Mabel Sportsmans Club at 13 miles.
From the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 28, 2026.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park and nearby events
On the ground itself or close by: 2 upcoming events, covering NWTF chapter banquet and Whitetails Unlimited banquet.
Next on the calendar
| When | Listing | Distance | Venue | Tickets or seats | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2027 | Whitetails Unlimited Houston County Chapter Banquet, a Whitetails Unlimited banquet | 7 | Fest Building (Spring Grove) | Event details | Source |
| Mar 7, 2027 | Houston County NWTF Banquet, an NWTF chapter banquet | 4 | Caledonia | Buy tickets | Source |
A look at the landscape around Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Beaver Creek Valley State Park shooting hours on key dates
Times are worked out for the Beaver Creek Valley State Park map point on Central Time; big game ends half an hour after sunset, birds at sunset.
| Date | Moment | Sunrise | Sunset | Open | Big game close | Birds close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 6:49 a.m. | 7:12 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. | 7:42 p.m. | 7:12 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 6:56 a.m. | 6:59 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. | 7:29 p.m. | 6:59 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:13 a.m. | 6:33 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. | 7:03 p.m. | 6:33 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 6:49 a.m. | 4:51 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 4:51 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:16 a.m. | 4:33 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 4:33 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 7:40 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 4:38 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:27 a.m. | 7:47 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. | 8:17 p.m. | 7:47 p.m. |
Times are rounded to the minute.
Hours rule from the DNR booklet shooting hours page; sun times calculated for the unit point (NOAA method, Central Time); checked October 28, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Straight answers on hunting Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Where is the access for Beaver Creek Valley State Park?
No directions are published; Caledonia is the closest town at 4.2 mi.
Which species does Beaver Creek Valley State Park hold?
Game on the agency list for Beaver Creek Valley State Park: deer.
Is CWD sampling required at Beaver Creek Valley State Park?
DNR lists DPA 649 as in the CWD management zone.
Who do I call about Beaver Creek Valley State Park?
Beaver Creek Valley State Park falls under Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Which public ground lies closest to Beaver Creek Valley State Park?
Next-closest public land: Yucatan WMA (7.8 mi), Chisholm Valley WMA (9.0 mi) and Choice WMA (9.2 mi).
How early does shooting start at Beaver Creek Valley State Park on the opener?
Opening day of the firearms season: shooting from 6:19 a.m., done by 5:21 p.m..
Roughly how large is the Beaver Creek Valley State Park unit?
The mapped size is 754 acres.
Can you hunt on Beaver Creek Valley State Park this season?
Partly. Hunting happens only through the listed hunts or open portion.
Which deer permit area holds Beaver Creek Valley State Park?
Beaver Creek Valley State Park falls in DPA 649, 5-deer limit. Expect the firearms season from Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park: three things to confirm first
Carry your license, validate a deer or turkey at the kill site and register it (48 hours for deer and bear, 24 for turkey).
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Other photos on this page: NPS Photo (Public domain); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain).