Public lands in the United States offer a diverse range of opportunities for hunters, but they also come with various regulations and access points to note.
Locally, the Maryland-owned lands typically comprise State Parks, Wildlife Areas (WA), or Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). The rules for hunting in these areas can vary significantly. County-owned lands have various access for hunting. Also, there are private lands available for hunting.
It’s when hunting season is in outdoor recreation users need to be respectful and ensure they are wearing blaze orange clothing and accessories when hiking or biking or bird-watching on the trails.
Here’s what we could find on the local (forested) public lands and the hunting policy for each:
Big Run State Park
• No Hunting
• Hunting permitted in adjacent State Forest
Broadford Lake Park
• Closed for Specific November Dates for Waterfowl Hunting
Casselman River Bridge State Park
• No Hunting
Cunningham Swamp
• Hunting is allowed in accordance with open seasons and shooting hours.
• No special permits or drawings are required to hunt this area, except appropriate licenses and stamps
• Trapping by permit only
• Hunting 7 days a week
Dans Mountain
• No Hunting
Deep Creek Lake
• General hunting permitted in 551-acre designated hunting area
• No firearms hunting until October 15
• Hunting permitted Monday-Saturday
• Hunt from Vehicle provisions for disabled hunters
• Provisions for hunters with mobility impairments
• Waterfowl hunting only at designated sites on Deep Creek Lake (reservation required)
Deep Creek Lions Club Community Park – Lions Club Trails
• Closed for private hunting during whitetail rifle season
Garrett State Forest
• Hunting permitted throughout 19,000 acres of Potomac-Garrett State Forest; note the two state park areas (Herrington Manor and Swallow Falls) hunting is prohibited.
• Forest boundaries are marked with yellow paint on trees; a yellow bar as you enter the forest and a yellow dot as you exit the forest
• Potomac-Garrett State Forest offers over 4 miles of accessible hunting areas
Green Ridge State Forest
• Hunting is permitted throughout the 49,000 acres of Green Ridge State Forest (except where posted with safety zone signs)
• Green Ridge State Forest offers over 6 miles of accessible hunting areas
Fork Run (Garrett County Owned)
• No Hunting
Herrington Manor State Park
• No Hunting
• Hunting permitted in adjacent Garrett State Forest
Mt. Nebo WMA
• Hunting is allowed in accordance with open seasons and shooting hours.
• No special permits or drawings are required to hunt this area, except appropriate licenses and stamps.
• Trapping by permit only.
• There is disabled hunter access off of Oakland-Sang Run Rd
• Hunting 7 days a week
New Germany State Park
• No Hunting
• Hunting permitted in adjacent State Forest
Rocky Gap State Park
• General hunting permitted in 1,451-acre designated hunting area
• Archery-only hunting permitted in 300-acre designated hunting area
• Hunting permitted Monday-Saturday
• Hunt from Vehicle provisions for disabled hunters
Sang Run State Park
• No Hunting
Savage River State Forest
Savage River State Forest offers over 2.8 miles of accessible hunting areas
Swallow Falls State Park
• No Hunting
• Hunting permitted in adjacent Garrett State Forest
Western Maryland Rail Trail
• No Hunting
Wolf Den Run
• Hunting for deer permitted on 1,986 acres
• Hunting permitted Monday-Saturday
Youghiogheny Wild River
• General hunting permitted in 1,200-acre designated hunting area
• Hunting permitted Monday-Saturday
