Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area is 50,099 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Morgan, Noble, Muskingum and Guernsey counties, next to Cumberland, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 1,529 deer in Morgan County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: ODNR's ODNR area open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Division of Wildlife harvest reports, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Land on ODNR's hunting mapNational forestOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landAppalachian Hills Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 50,099 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Morgan County, Noble County, Muskingum County and Guernsey County |
| Deer harvest unit | Morgan County, Noble County, Muskingum County, Guernsey County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | easement and owned land |
| Nearest towns | Cumberland (next to it), Belle Valley (2 mi) and McConnelsville (3 mi) |
What are the rules on Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area?
ODNR's land layer lists the area as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons and rules.
ODNR's hunting map for the area shows the boundaries, parking and any no-hunting zones.
Deer bag limits in Ohio are set by county; the Division's 2026-27 season list points to the bag limit map.
How many deer are taken around Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area?
Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area lies in 4 counties. Hunters checked 1,529 deer in Morgan County in 2025-26, against 3,890 in 2024-25.
| County | Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County | 20,631 | 1,529 | 3,890 | 3,281 |
| Noble County | 15,134 | 2,260 | 3,690 | 3,416 |
| Muskingum County | 14,111 | 6,283 | 6,269 | 5,789 |
| Guernsey County | 222 | 4,804 | 5,762 | 5,220 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
How do you get to Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Cumberland (next to it), Belle Valley (2 miles), McConnelsville (3 miles) and Malta (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 60, OH 83, OH 78, I-77 and OH 146.
What other public land is near Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Jesse Owens Wildlife Area: 4,836 acres, next to it
- Jesse Owens State Park: 2,794 acres, next to it
- Blue Rock State Forest: 4,499 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Blue Rock State Park: 301 acres, 2 miles away
- Wolf Run State Park: 1,372 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Buffalo Fork Wildlife Area: 199 acres, 5.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area
Counting Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area itself, 84,611 of the 190,393 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (44.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 60,087 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 24,474 |
| Other state land | 50 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area?
In Morgan, Noble, Muskingum and Guernsey counties, next to Cumberland.
Can you hunt on Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area?
84,611 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Jesse Owens Wildlife Area (next to it).
Get a Ohio hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Ohio are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Ohio included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: ODNR, Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area; ODNR lands hunting status.
- Boundary and acres: ODNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status.
- Deer harvest: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
FilledTag is not part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Check ODNR's rules and posted signs before you go.
Ohio hunting Morgan County Noble County Muskingum County Guernsey County