Berkeley, Morgan County, West Virginia · 22,928 acres
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area Hunting 2026: Species & Access
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area covers 22,928 acres near Hedgesville in Berkeley, Morgan County. Oak, pine and hickory forest across the ridges of the Eastern Panhandle, built around the 205-acre Sleepy Creek Lake.
01 — What you can hunt here
| Species | Notes |
|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | The area's main big-game draw. |
| Wild turkey | Present in good numbers across the oak-hickory ridges. |
| Black bear | Huntable under statewide bear seasons and rules. |
| Small game | Squirrel, grouse and rabbit, plus waterfowl on Sleepy Creek Lake. |
| Furbearers | Bobcat, coyote, fisher, raccoon and beaver — trapping requires a free permit on top of the license. |
02 — Access rules specific to this WMA
- A standard West Virginia hunting license covers hunting here the same as anywhere else in the state — no separate WMA permit or lottery system.
- Trapping requires a free trapping permit obtained from the area wildlife manager or the WVDNR district wildlife biologist.
- All statewide West Virginia hunting, trapping and fishing regulations apply with no area-specific exceptions.
04 — Facilities
Camping: Four campgrounds with about 75 primitive campsites. No shooting range on-site.
Sleepy Creek Lake has three access sites with parking, restrooms and two fishing piers, plus a boat launch — fishing and camping are built in alongside the hunting, not an afterthought.
05 — Where to go next
Sleepy Creek is the plain-access counterpoint to Middle Creek's lottery system and Guana River's quota permits in this silo: one WV hunting license, no drawing, no extra fee, and nearly 23,000 acres open to walk in and hunt. The trade for that simplicity is that a good spot on opening weekend is first-come, not reserved — there's no permit protecting your blind or stand the way a controlled hunt would.
West Virginia hunting license costs and permits →
Verified · West Virginia Division of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-08
Publisher's note. Read from WVDNR, retrieved 2026-08-08. Review due 2027-08-01. WMA-specific rules and closures can change between seasons — confirm before you hunt.