1. Beaver Dam
(37,674 acres) The Alleghenies
U.S. Route 33 and state Routes 22, 40, 27 and 31 provide access to the area. It is primarily rugged mountain terrain covered in mixed hardwood stands. The hunter will find numerous opportunities for turkey, bear, deer, snowshoe hare in higher elevations, grouse and woodcock. The trapper should expect to find beaver, fox and raccoon. Excellent fishing for trout is available in Shavers Fork, Glady Fork, Laurel Fork River and their tributaries. Seventeen campsites are maintained at Laurel Fork with water pump and outdoor toilets. The area contains Laurel Fork North and South Wilderness Areas with a combined area of 12,200 acres. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

2. Blackwater
(58,978 acres) The Alleghenies
U.S. Route 219 and state Routes 72 and 32 run through the area. Blackwater is primarily mountainous terrain covered in oak-hickory, northern hardwoods, spruce-fir and white pine forests with 2,743 acres of openings scattered throughout the area. Hunting opportunities abound for bear, turkey, deer, snowshoe hare in higher elevations, squirrel and grouse. Trapping for fisher, beaver, fox, raccoon and bobcat is productive. Blackwater River, Horseshoe Run, Clover Run and Slip Hill Run provide excellent trout fishing. Horseshoe Recreation Area is located along state Route 7 and contains ten developed campsites, several picnic areas, picnic shelters and pit toilets. The recreation area is closed during the winter months, and opens May 30. Seventy-five primitive campsites are located along Canaan Loop Road. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

3. Cheat
(80, 771 acres) The Alleghenies
Access is by U.S. Routes 219 and 250 or state Routes 43, 37 and 64. Maple, beech and birch cover 59 percent of the mountainous terrain, red spruce occupies 19 percent and oak-hickory 18 percent. The hunter can expect to find bear, turkey, deer, snowshoe hare in higher elevations, squirrel, grouse and woodcock. Beaver, fox, raccoon and bobcat trapping is popular. Trout fishing is available in 302 miles of streams, Shavers Fork and parts of the Tygart River. Primitive campsites are distributed throughout the area. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

4. Cranberry
(158,147 acres) The Alleghenies
State Routes 150, 39, 7, 48 and 46 provide access to the area. Elevations range from 1,900 to 4,600 feet in mountainous terrain covered with mature hardwood forests. Hunting for bear, turkey, deer, limited showshoe hare in higher elevations and squirrel is very productive, as is trapping for raccoon, beaver, fox, mink and muskrat. Summit Lake, 42 acres, North and South forks of the Cherry River, Cherry River, Williams River and Cranberry River provide excellent trout fishing. Camping areas are located at Cranberry, Summit Lake and Big Rock. The area contains the Cranberry Wilderness Area, totaling 35,864 acres. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

5. Little River
(124,483 acres) The Alleghenies
Access the area from U.S. Route 250 and state Route 28. Northern hardwoods cover the mountainous terrain with oak-hickory and black cherry. Red Pine is also present. Good hunting exists for turkey, bear, deer, squirrel, grouse, woodcock and snowshoe hare in higher elevations. Trapping for beaver, fox, raccoon and bobcat is popular and productive. Buffalo Lake, 21 acres, provides good trout fishing. Fishing for warmwater species and trout is possible in 353 miles of streams. Camping is available at Island Creek, Abe Run, Frank Mountain, Little River West, Snorting Lick and West Fork of the Greenbrier River. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

6. Neola
(97,928 acres) The Levels
Access is available from state Routes 92, 28, 84 and 39. Oak-hickory and oak-pine forests cover 90 percent of the rugged terrain, and hunting for turkey, deer, bear, squirrel, grouse, rabbit and waterfowl can be extremely rewarding. Sherwood Lake, 167 acres, and the Greenbrier River provide excellent warmwater fishing. North Fork of Anthony Creek, Meadow Creek and Laurel Run offer ideal trout fishing. Camping is available at Lake Sherwood Recreation complex and Blue Bend Recreation Area. Calvin Price State Forest is located within the area. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

7. Otter Creek
(68,782 acres) The Alleghenies
Access is via U.S. Routes 219 and 33 and state Routes 72 and 32. The area consists of mountainous terrain ranging in elevation from 1,660 to 4,008 feet and is covered in mixed hardwood forests. Hunters will find bear, deer, turkey, snowshoe hare in higher elevations, squirrel and grouse, while anglers will enjoy trout fishing in Shavers Fork River, Dry Fork River, Glady Fork, Laurel Fork, Otter Creek and many miles of smaller tributaries. Camping can be found at Stuart and Bear Heaven recreation areas. This area contains the Otter Creek Wilderness Area with a total of 20,000 acres. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

8. Potomac
(139,786 acres) Potomac Branches
Access by U.S. Routes 33 and 220, and state Routes 28, 29 and 41. Elevations vary from 900 to 4,862 feet. Oak-hickory and northern hardwoods comprise the forests of this rugged area, which offers hunting for turkey, deer, bear, squirrel, grouse and rabbit. The North Fork of the South Branch and the main South Branch of the Potomac River, Red Creek, Gandy Creek, Dry Fork and Spruce Knob Lake offer trout fishing at its best. Numerous public use camping areas are maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Potomac WMA contains Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, which encompasses 10,218 acres. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

9. Rimel
(67,251 acres) The Alleghenies
Access is by state Routes 39, 28, 92 and 84. Thirty miles of paved roads and 46 miles of unpaved secondary roads traverse the area. The area is composed of mountainous terrain covered by oak-hickory, oak-pine and northern hardwood forests. Turkey, bear, deer, squirrel, grouse and rabbit are the principal game species. Knapps Creek, Seneca Lake and several smaller streams provide native and stocked trout fishing. Pocahontas and Bird Run campgrounds, Seneca State Forest and Watoga State Park are within the area. Seneca and Watoga have camping facilities. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

10. Tea Creek
(67,919 acres) The Alleghenies
Access is primarily by U.S. Route 219. Northern hardwood forests cover the mountainous terrain where hunting for bear, deer, turkey, snowshoe hare in higher elevations, squirrel and grouse can be quite productive. Greenbrier, Williams, Elk and Gauley rivers provide trout and warmwater fishing. The Greenbrier River is well suited for float trip or wade fishing for smallmouth bass or rock bass. Approximately 70 miles of native trout streams are available. Camping areas are located at Day Run and Tea Creek campgrounds. Owned by U. S. Forest Service.

11. Shenandoah
(49,106 acres) Potomac Branches
State Routes 21, 30 and 3 provide access to this area which is made up of mountainous terrain with elevations ranging from 1,250 to 4,397 feet. The area is covered primarily by oak-hickory forests. Hunters will find deer, bear, turkey, squirrel and grouse. Brandywine Lake, 6 acres, provides trout fishing and the 8-acre Camp Run Lake provides warmwater fishing for largemouth bass and channel catfish. Camping is available at Brandywine Lake and Camp Run. The Westside shooting range is available for public use. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

12. Wardensville
(55,327 acres) Potomac Branches
Access is via state Routes 59, 23/10, 5/1 and 16. Oak-hickory forest predominates on the mountainous terrain, which provides hunting for turkey, bear, deer, squirrel and grouse. Trout Pond, 2 acres, Rock Cliff Lake, 16 acres, and 61 miles of streams provide fishing for trout, while other anglers will enjoy the smallmouth bass, rock bass and redbreast sunfish fishing in Cacapon and Lost rivers. Camping is available at Trout Pond, Rock Cliff Lake, Wolf Gap and Hawk recreation areas. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

13. Potts Creek
(18,211 acres) The Levels
Accessible by state Routes 15, 17 or 20. Oak-pine forests covers the mountainous terrain that ranges in elevation from 2,000 to 3,600 feet. Hunting in this area is good for bear, deer, turkey, grouse, rabbit and squirrel. Potts Creek and the North and South forks of Potts Creek provide trout fishing. No camping sites are available. Owned by U.S. Forest Service.

Springfield & Hughes River
Westvaco Corporation makes both the Springfield and Hughes River Wildlife Management Areas (approximately 10,000 acres on each) available to the public. Westvaco also allows outdoor recreation on an additional 350,000 acres of its managed timberlands. A permit (valid for two years) is required to hunt, trap or fish on Westvaco lands. It may be obtained for $5 from Westvaco, P.O. Box 577, Rupert, WV 25984. Recreation such as hiking and berry picking require no specific permission. Westvaco does not allow overnight camping or the operation of ATVs on its lands.

Information courtesy W.Va. Division of Natural Resources