State Game Lands 296: hunting, parking and access
State Game Lands 296 is 2,616 acres owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission in Westmoreland County and Fayette County, inside WMU 2A. PGC's maps show 5 parking areas, 11 gates and 1.7 miles of game land road that PGC opens to vehicles at set times of year. The game lands are in 4 separate pieces; the largest is 2,123 acres.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary, parking, roads and gates: PGC's game lands maps. Seasons: PGC 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits.
State game landsSGL 296PGC parkingRoad open seasonallyWMU lineHighway
| Size | 2,616 acres, measured from PGC's boundary |
|---|---|
| Counties | Westmoreland and Fayette |
| WMU | WMU 2A |
| PGC region | Southwest Region (office in Bolivar) |
| Parking areas | 5 (5 gravel) |
| Roads open seasonally | 1.7 miles on 2 roads |
| Game land roads closed to public vehicles | 12 miles |
| Gates | 11 |
| Separate tracts | 4 (largest 2,123 acres) |
| Nearest towns | Perryopolis (2 mi), Smithton (2 mi) and Star Junction (3 mi) |
Where do you park on SGL 296?
PGC maps 5 parking areas on State Game Lands 296, listed north to south. Surfaces: 5 gravel.
| Lot | Latitude, longitude | Surface | Size (square feet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40.12548, -79.70874 | gravel | 5,640 |
| 2 | 40.11773, -79.70631 | gravel | 5,400 |
| 3 | 40.11483, -79.67005 | gravel | 1,200 |
| 4 | 40.10274, -79.69645 | gravel | 3,600 |
| 5 | 40.10116, -79.71519 | gravel | 7,500 |
Source: PGC State Game Lands parking areas. Sizes and surfaces are PGC's own records; a lot may be plowed or not in winter.
Which roads on SGL 296 are open to vehicles?
PGC opens 2 roads on SGL 296 to vehicles at set times of year, 1.7 miles in all. Outside those times they are closed to public vehicles.
| Road | Miles | When PGC opens it |
|---|---|---|
| T568, Cross | 0.9 | See PGC's schedule below |
| Main Access Rd | 0.8 | See PGC's schedule below |
PGC's words: "Opened two weeks before archery until two weeks after late flintlock season. Reopened for spring turkey season."
PGC also maps 12 miles of game land road on SGL 296 that is closed to public vehicles. PGC's road layer counts 1.1 miles of road open to public traffic through or along the game lands. PGC records 11 gates here.
PGC marks 1 disabled person route on SGL 296 (3.2 miles), for hunters who hold PGC's disabled person permit.
Sources: PGC State Game Lands roads; PGC State Game Lands gates; PGC State Game Lands trails. Road miles measured by FilledTag from PGC's lines.
Which WMU is SGL 296 in, and what is taken there?
SGL 296 lies wholly in WMU 2A. Seasons, antlerless licenses and harvest are kept by WMU, not by game lands; these are the figures for each whole WMU:
| WMU | Game lands acres in it | Antlered deer | Antlerless deer | Bears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 2A | 2,616 | 8,446 (2025-26) | 13,614 (2025-26) | 6 (2024) |
In WMU 2A, 2026-27 archery deer runs October 3 to November 20, and December 26 to January 24, 2027 and the regular firearms season November 28 to December 13.
Harvest: PGC Annual Deer Population Report, April 2026; PGC's 2024 bear harvest release. Seasons: PGC 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits.
How do you get to SGL 296?
Highways within five miles: I-70, PA 51, PA 981, PA 201, PA 819 and PA 31. Nearest towns: Perryopolis (2 miles), Smithton (2 miles), Star Junction (3 miles) and Dawson (3 miles).
PGC's land records for SGL 296: PGC real estate, SGL 296.
PGC's rules for every State Game Lands tract, from tree stands to fluorescent orange for non-hunters, are on the Pennsylvania hunting page.
Questions hunters ask
Where can you park on State Game Lands 296?
PGC maps 5 parking areas on SGL 296: 5 gravel. The largest PGC lists is about 7,500 square feet, at 40.1012, -79.7152. Every lot's coordinates are in the table on this page.
What WMU is State Game Lands 296 in?
All of SGL 296 is in WMU 2A. PGC estimates 8,446 antlered and 13,614 antlerless deer were taken in the whole WMU in 2025-26.
When are the roads on SGL 296 open to vehicles?
PGC lists 2 roads on SGL 296 as open seasonally, 1.7 miles in all. For T568, Cross, PGC's note reads: "Opened two weeks before archery until two weeks after late flintlock season. Reopened for spring turkey season."
Can you camp on State Game Lands 296?
No. PGC does not allow camping on any State Game Lands, SGL 296 included. The nearest town is Perryopolis, 2 miles away, by the Census map of places.
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Where these facts come from
- Boundary and acres: PGC State Game Lands boundaries. Parking: PGC State Game Lands parking areas. Roads: PGC State Game Lands roads. Gates: PGC State Game Lands gates.
- WMU harvest: PGC Annual Deer Population Report, April 2026; PGC's 2024 bear harvest release. Seasons: PGC 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits.
- Public land around the game lands: 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.
FilledTag is not part of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.