Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area: hunting, parking and access
Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area is 444 acres (DEC) managed by DEC in the town of Patterson, Putnam County, in WMU 3G (Southern Zone). DEC lists 1 parking area with coordinates.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: DEC's page for Great Swamp WMA, read 2026-10-18. Boundary: DEC GIS.
DEC landState parkGreat Swamp WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 444 acres (DEC) |
|---|---|
| Location (DEC) | Town of Patterson, Putnam County |
| WMU | WMU 3G |
| Zone | Southern Zone |
| DEC region | Region 3 |
| Open | Year-round |
| Fee | Free |
| Parking areas (DEC) | 1 |
| Activities DEC lists | Hunting, Trapping, Freshwater Fishing and Watchable Wildlife |
| Nearest towns | Putnam Lake (next to it), Lake Carmel (3 mi) and Brewster Hill (3 mi) |
Where do you park at Great Swamp WMA?
DEC lists 1 parking area for Great Swamp WMA:
| DEC's description | Latitude, longitude |
|---|---|
| Cornwall Hill Road | 41.49135, -73.60386 |
From DEC's page for Great Swamp WMA.
What can you hunt on Great Swamp WMA, and when?
DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks the area open to hunting. DEC lists these activities for the area: hunting, trapping, freshwater fishing and watchable wildlife. Hunting on a WMA follows the seasons of the WMU the ground is in. In WMU 3G, the 2026 regular firearms deer season runs November 21 to December 13.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer harvested (whole WMU) | Adult bucks | Bears (whole WMU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3G | 560 | 1,133 (2025) | 669 | 18 (2025) |
Harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
What DEC says about each activity here
- Hunting. "Hunting opportunities at the WMA include native small game species, waterfowl, and white-tailed deer."
- Trapping. "Furbearer species found in the WMA include red and gray fox, coyote, beaver, muskrat, mink, and bobcat."
- Watchable Wildlife. "Large numbers of black ducks, mallards, wood ducks, and Canada geese use the Great Swamp during migration."
From DEC's page for Great Swamp WMA.
How do you get to Great Swamp WMA?
Highways within five miles: I-84, NY 22, NY 52, NY 55, US 6 and NY 311. Nearest towns: Putnam Lake (next to it), Lake Carmel (3 miles), Brewster Hill (3 miles) and Pawling (3 miles). State land nearby, as DEC names it: Bog Brook Unique Area, Cranberry Mountain WMA and Nimham Mountain Multiple Use Area.
Which other WMAs are near Great Swamp?
| WMA | Miles away (straight line) | WMU | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cranberry Mountain WMA | 2 | 3G | 1,085 |
| Bog Brook WMA | 4 | 3G | 131 |
| Baxtertown Woods WMA | 18 | 3F | 250 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Great Swamp WMA?
Yes. DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks it open to hunting. Great Swamp WMA lies in WMU 3G, and seasons follow the WMU's: in 2026 the regular firearms deer season there runs November 21 to December 13.
Where do you park at Great Swamp WMA?
DEC lists 1 parking area: Cornwall Hill Road (41.4913, -73.6039).
What WMU is Great Swamp WMA in?
All of Great Swamp WMA is in WMU 3G. DEC estimates 1,133 deer were taken in the whole WMU in 2025.
What is the nearest town to Great Swamp WMA?
Putnam Lake, next to the area, by the Census map of places. Lake Carmel is 3 miles away.
How big is Great Swamp WMA?
DEC gives 444 acres.
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Where these facts come from
- Area facts, habitat, parking and plans: DEC, Great Swamp WMA.
- Boundary: DEC Wildlife Management Areas. Public land around it: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
- WMU harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
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