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Private Forest Lands Open for Public Recreation

Web Mapping Application

Through the Managed Forest Law (MFL) and Forest Crop Law (FCL) programs, some private forest lands are open to the public for recreational purposes. This web mapping tool can help you find which lands are now available.

Launch map

What to expect

Once the web mapping tool is launched, a map of Wisconsin is displayed which displays MFL and FCL lands accessible to the public.

Map example from the Wisconsin DNR Private Forest Lands Open for Public Recreation application.
Screenshot: Zoomed in view of Wisconsin map.
A small purple triangle.

- Public hunting, fishing, hiking, sight-seeing and cross-country skiing (Open Managed Forest Law

A small red circle.

- Public hunting and fishing (Forest Crop Law)

All map points are approximate

The points on the map are approximate locations and do not represent the actual boundaries of MFL/FCL land open to the public. The points are most often located in the center of a 40-acre square and indicate that there is MFL or FCL land open to public recreation within that 40-acre square (also known as a quarter-quarter section).

You must click on a purple or red point to see the actual acreage of open land that is enrolled in either MFL or FCL, the landowner and the DNR contact. You are encouraged to contact DNR county foresters or the landowner for specific location and public access information.

Helpful tips

  • Pay attention to the pop-up screens that appear and follow their directions
  • Click the points on the map for complete details (including contact information)
  • Some points represent multiple landowners. Click the arrows at the top or bottom (for mobile) of the land description dialogue box to cycle through these landowners
  • Go to the Public Lands website for further information about recreational opportunities on public lands

For more information about open lands listing and tax law programs

Technical requirements

  • Works on iOS and Android operating systems
  • Designed to work over a higher-speed internet connection for desktop devices (may be unusable over a dial-up connection)
  • Requires an HTML5 compliant browser (e.g., IE10 or higher, Chrome, Firefox or Safari)
  • JavaScript must be enabled in the browser
  • Browser zoom level must be set to 100% or less for the dialog boxes to work correctly

Map data updates

  • Weekly:
    • Landowner contact name, ownership type and landowner address
    • DNR forester's name, phone number and email address
  • Annually (in January):
    • Points representing the approximate locations of lands open for public recreation
    • Legal description of the property and parcel number (for those that exist)
    • Number of acres enrolled as "Open to recreation"
    • Municipality and county in which the land can be found
  • Intermittently (see help documentation under map data updates):
    • Other features to help with general navigation (roads, aerial photographs, etc.)
    • Approximate GIS representations of DNR managed lands, county forests and federal lands

Disclaimer

DNR web mapping applications contain the most current information about DNR properties and private lands under DNR management with public access for hunting and recreational activities. Please be aware that third-party web mapping applications (e.g., Google Maps, commercial mapping companies, etc.) may display erroneous boundaries of these properties.

To ensure that you can reach your intended area and avoid trespassing, use DNR web mapping applications to plan your outing. Confirm the ownership of non-DNR public land (e.g., municipal, county, federal), tribal land and private land through other means, and recognize that on-ground postings and property boundary signs override property boundaries shown in DNR and third-party web mapping applications and should be respected.