Wildlife Management Areas

Connecticut’s Wildlife Management Areas

According to the DEEP there are 112 Wildlife Management Areas in the state which together total 32,000 acres of protected land.  They are largely a result of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, also referred to as the Pittman-Robertson (P-R) Act.

WMAs largely preserve habitat for many different species of animal, bird, and invertebrate with special interest given to grasslands, old fields, and coastal salt and freshwater marshes.  They also provide public recreation for hiking, wildlife viewing, and photography but are usually more geared towards fishing, hunting, and trapping.

I’ve been able to identify 99 of the 112 by scouring maps and online hunting resources and so far have visited 22.

Wildlife Management Areas

Aldo Leopold WMA Assekonk Swamp WMA Babcock Pond Baldwin Marsh WMA Barber Pond WMA
Barn Island WMA Bartlett Brook Bear Hill WMA Belding WMA Bigelow Brook WMA
Bishop Swamp WMA Black Pond WMA Branford River WMA Bride Brook WS Candlewood Hill WMA
Cedar Swamp WMA Charles E. Wheeler WMA Charter Marsh WS Clark Creek WMA Cove Island WS
Cromwell Meadows WMA Dr. John E. Flaherty WMA Durham Meadows WMA East Haven Marsh WMA East River Marsh WMA
East Marsh WMA Eightmile River WMA Emerson Leonard WS Ferry Point Marsh WMA Franklin Swamp WMA
Goshen WMA Great Harbor WMA Greenwoods Pond WMA Haddam Neck WMA Hager Creek Marsh WMA
Hammock Marsh WMA Higganum Meadows WMA Housatonic River WMA James V. Spignesi WMA Kollar WMA
Kings Island WMA Kitchel WS Lake Zoar WMA Little River WMA Lockes Meadow Pond WMA
Lords Island WMA Lords Cove WMA Mansfield Hollow WMA Maromas Co-op WMA Meadow Brook WMA
Menunketesuck WMA Messerschmidt Pond WMA Miles WS Newgate WMA Nod Brook WMA
Nott Island WMA Pattagansett River Marsh WMA Pawcatuck River WMA Pawson Park Marsh WMA Pease Brook WMA
Pequonnock Valley WMA Pequsett Meadows Marsh WMA Pine Orchard Marsh WMA Plum Bank Marsh WMA Popes Island WMA
Pumpkin Hill WMA Quinebaug River WMA Quinebaug River Marsh WMA Ragged Rock Creek Marsh WMA Raymond Brook WMA
Rich Island WMA Robbins Swamp WMA Roger Tory Peterson WMA Roraback WMA Rose Hill WMA
Ross Marsh WMA Salmon River Cove WMA Sessions Woods WMA Shade Swamp WS Sharon Mountain WMA
Simsbury WMA Six Penny Island WMA Skiff Mountain COOP WMA Smith-Hubbell WS Snake Meadow Brook WMA
South Cove WMA Stanley Works Coop WMA Suffield WMA Sugar Brook WMA Talbot WMA
Tankerhoosen WMA Thatch Bed Marsh WMA Tunxis WMA Wagner WS Wangunk Meadows WMA
Werner Woods WMA West River Marsh WMA Wopowog WMA Zalesky WMA

Wangunk Meadows WMA

Unexplored

1346 Tryon St, South Glastonbury, CT

Wangunk Meadows Wildlife Management Area Connecticut Wildlife Management Area 637 acres in Portland, CT Parking: Small lot near 1346 Tryon St, South Glastonbury, CT Property Map   …

Frank Niederwerfer Wildlife Sanctuary

★★☆☆☆

275 Niederwerfer Rd, South Windsor, CT 06074, USA

Frank Niederwerfer Wildlife Sanctuary / South Windsor Wildlife Sanctuary South Windsor Town Park / Connecticut Wildlife Management Area 159 acres in South Windsor, CT (117 town park,…

Pequonnock Valley WMA

Unexplored

79 Park St, Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

Pequonnock Valley Wildlife Management Area Connecticut State WMA 382 acres in Trumbull, CT Parking: Large lot at the Park & Ride near 55 Park St, Trumbull, CT…

Quinebaug Trail North Terminus

★★☆☆☆

309 Plainfield Pike, Plainfield, CT 06374, USA

Quinebaug Trail – North Terminus CFPA Blue Blaze Trail acres in Plainfield, CT Parking: Small pull off near 309 Plainfield Pike, Plainfield, CT Trail Map     …

Mattabesset River Cromwell Meadows WMA

★★★☆☆

24 Shunpike Road, Cromwell, CT, USA

Mattabesset River at Cromwell Meadows WMA River and Wildlife Management Area 548 acres in Cromwell and Middletown, CT Parking: North Boat Launch: from behind Dunkin’s parking lot… Read more…

Zemko Pond WMA

★☆☆☆☆

41.497541, -72.258677

Zemko Pond Wildlife Management Area Connecticut WMA 464 acres in Salem, CT Parking: Small lot near 220 Round Hill Road, Salem, CT Trail Map      Trails:…

Bear Hill WMA

★★☆☆☆

Bear Hill Rd, Bozrah, CT 06334, USA

Bear Hill Wildlife Management Area Connecticut WMA 365 acres in Bozrah, CT Parking: Small lot at the end of Bear Hill Rd, Bozrah, CT Hunting Map   …

Pease Brook WMA

★☆☆☆☆

103-213 Horiska Rd, Lebanon, CT, USA

Pease Brook Wildlife Management Area Connecticut WMA 213 acres in Lebanon, Franklin, and Bozrah, CT Parking: Medium sized lot near 103-213 Horiska Rd, Lebanon, CT Hunting Map … Read more…

Talbot WMA

★★☆☆☆

41.683653, -72.110309

Nathan and Anne Talbot Wildlife Management Area Connecticut WMA 517 acres in Scotland, CT Parking: Small lot near 302 Bass Rd, Scotland, CT Trail Map     …

Spignesi WMA

★☆☆☆☆

41.712963, -72.067512

James V. Spignesi Jr. WMA Connecticut Wildlife Management Area 524 acres in Scotland, CT Parking: Medium sized lot near 210 Pudding Hill Road, Hampton, CT Area Map …