The big country
Monongahela National Forest
Nearly a million acres open to hunting, with dispersed camping allowed and black bear density among the highest in the state.
Full guide to Otter Creek Wilderness →Hunting
Whitetail deer, black bear, wild turkey, small game and waterfowl across a very large public land base — the Monongahela National Forest plus more than 80 WVDNR wildlife management areas. Public land hunting opportunity here is among the best in the eastern United States.
Public land hunting opportunity here is among the best in the eastern United States, and the reason is simple arithmetic: 919,000 acres of national forest plus more than eighty wildlife management areas.
Whitetail, black bear, turkey, small game and waterfowl across a very large and very accessible public base.
Our recommendations
Where we'd send you
Closest to the metro
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area
Sleepy Creek WMA. Nearly 23,000 acres in the Eastern Panhandle, ninety minutes from Washington, with primitive camping.
Full guide to Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area →For waterfowl and quiet
East Lynn Lake
East Lynn Lake WMA in Wayne County. Twenty-three thousand acres around a reservoir, and hardly anyone in it.
Full guide to East Lynn Lake →Practical note
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1975 needs a certified hunter education course before buying a license. Sunday hunting rules have changed in recent years — read the current regulations summary rather than relying on what someone told you.
What to know before you go
- WVDNR publishes WMA boundaries, regulations and season dates annually
- onX Hunt is the standard tool for public/private boundary work in patchwork country
- Bear hunting in the Monongahela draws applicants from across the region
Regions that do it best
Highest terrain, ski areas, wilderness backpacking
Potomac Highlands
All terrain in West Virginia above 4,000 feet lies in this region, including Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet.
Reservoirs, trout water, developing rail-trailMountain Lakes
The geographic center of the state and its least-visited region.
Rail-trails, limestone caves, gentle river paddlingGreenbrier Valley
The Greenbrier Valley sits on Greenbrier limestone, producing karst topography: sinkholes, springs, sinking streams and extensive cave systems, several with more than forty miles of surveyed passage.
Appalachian Trail, warm rivers, limestone streamsEastern Panhandle
The Appalachian Trail crosses the Potomac at Harpers Ferry and runs roughly 24 miles through this region.
Every place we cover for hunting
Wilderness · Greenbrier Valley
Cranberry Wilderness
47,815 acres of second-growth northern hardwood and red spruce on the high plateau — the largest wilderness in West Virginia.
47,815 ac wilderness70+ mi maintained trail
State Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Seneca State Forest
West Virginia's oldest state forest, 11,684 acres along the Greenbrier River with rustic CCC cabins that have no electricity, a fire tower rentable as lodging, and a quiet trail network.
11,684 ac forest1924 established
Wilderness · Potomac Highlands
Otter Creek Wilderness
About 20,000 acres of dense second-growth forest in a bowl between Shavers Mountain and McGowan Mountain, drained by Otter Creek.
20,698 ac wilderness45 mi trails
State Forest · Potomac Highlands
Kumbrabow State Forest
The highest state forest in West Virginia, 9,474 acres of red spruce and northern hardwood on Rich Mountain, with rustic cabins, native brook trout in Mill Creek and almost no one there.
Local knowledge
9,474 ac forestHighest state forest
Lake · Mountain Lakes
Sutton Lake
A 1,440-acre Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Elk River in Braxton County, with several campgrounds, quiet coves and the dam that creates the Elk tailwater fishery below.
1,440 ac lakeCorps managed
Wildlife Area · Eastern Panhandle
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area
Nearly 23,000 acres on Sleepy Creek Mountain — the largest WMA in the Eastern Panhandle, with a 205-acre lake, primitive camping, hunting, and a long ridge trail system.
22,928 ac wma205 ac sleepy creek lake
State Forest · Metro Valley
Kanawha State Forest
9,300 acres of steep, wooded hollow just fifteen minutes from downtown Charleston, with more than 25 miles of trails, a well-known mountain bike network, a swimming pool, campground and some of the best spring warbler birding in the state.
9,300 ac forest25+ mi trails
Lake · Metro Valley
East Lynn Lake
A 1,005-acre Corps reservoir in Wayne County with a strong bass and crappie fishery, a large wildlife management area around it and very little traffic.
1,005 ac lake23,000+ ac surrounding wma
State Forest · Southern Coalfields
Panther State Forest
Deep in McDowell County, one of the most remote units in the system, with a small campground, a swimming pool and trails through steep hardwood in the heart of the southern coalfields.
7,810 ac forestMcDowell Co. location
State Forest · Metro Valley
Cabwaylingo State Forest
A large, quiet forest in Wayne County named for the four counties it borders, with CCC-built cabins, a campground and a fire tower.
Local knowledge
8,123 ac forest1930s ccc-built
State Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Greenbrier State Forest
Just outside White Sulphur Springs, adjoining the Monongahela National Forest, with cabins, a campground, a swimming pool and trails climbing Kate's Mountain.
5,130 ac forestKate's Mountain ridge
State Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Calvin Price State Forest
An undeveloped forest adjoining Watoga State Park to the south, with no facilities and minimal trail marking.
Local knowledge
9,482 ac forestUndeveloped facilities
Wildlife Area · Southern Coalfields
Laurel Lake Wildlife Management Area
A quiet 12,854-acre WMA in Mingo County built around a 29-acre lake, with primitive camping, warm-water fishing and public hunting in the southern coalfields.
Local knowledge
12,854 ac wma29 ac lake
Wilderness · Potomac Highlands
Roaring Plains West Wilderness
6,792 acres of high plateau immediately south of Dolly Sods, running from 3,000 feet on the southern edge to over 4,700 feet at the top of Mount Porte Crayon.
Local knowledge
6,792 ac wilderness4,700+ ft mt porte crayon
AdvertiseThis space is available
Guides and rentals for hunting
Reserved for a West Virginia operator serving this activity. The listings above and below it are unpaid.
List your business hereQuestions people ask
Can you hunt on public land in West Virginia?
Yes. The Monongahela National Forest and more than 80 state wildlife management areas are open to public hunting under WVDNR regulations, with some area-specific restrictions.
Do you need a hunter safety course in West Virginia?
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1975 must complete a certified hunter education course before purchasing a hunting license.
Organizations, agencies and resources · 13
Groups that handle access, maintenance, licensing and conditions data for this activity. Starred entries publish updates worth following.
WV Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR)
Fishing, hunting, wildlife, boating, wildlife management areas, public lands and recreation. The licensing and regulatory authority for hunting, fishing and boating statewide.
Visit WV GIS Technical Center / MapWV
Statewide
Statewide GIS information and the public trail inventory — the authoritative spatial data layer for West Virginia recreation.
Visit Gaia GPS
Hiking
Offline topographic mapping with USGS quads, forest service layers and route planning — essential in West Virginia's poor cell coverage.
Visit WVDNR Hunting
Hunting
Seasons, bag limits, licensing, hunter education and regulation updates.
Visit WVDNR Wildlife Management Areas
Hunting
More than 80 public WMAs with boundaries, permitted uses, facilities and area-specific regulations.
Visit onX Hunt
Hunting
Public/private boundary and landowner mapping — the standard tool in West Virginia's patchwork ownership.
Visit National Wild Turkey Federation
Hunting
Turkey habitat conservation with West Virginia chapters and public land habitat projects.
Visit Ducks Unlimited
Hunting
Wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation, with Ohio River corridor projects.
Visit Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Hunting
Elk habitat conservation, relevant to West Virginia's reintroduced southern coalfields herd.
Visit Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Hunting
Public land access advocacy with a West Virginia chapter.
Visit U.S. Forest Service — Monongahela National Forest
Hunting
919,000 acres of public land open to hunting, dispersed camping, hiking and backcountry use.
Visit Monongahela National Forest
Federal lands
919,000 acres including Dolly Sods, Otter Creek, Cranberry and Roaring Plains wilderness areas, Seneca Rocks and Spruce Knob.
Visit Berkeley Springs–Morgan County Tourism
Tourism
The country's oldest spa town, Cacapon Resort State Park and Sleepy Creek WMA.
Visit
Related activities
Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.