State forest · Virginia
Devils Backbone State Forest
Devils Backbone State Forest is listed in PAD-US 4.1 as roughly 469 acres in Shenandoah County, Virginia (State forest), managed by a Virginia state agency (PAD-US category: state department of natural resources). It may allow hunting, but PAD-US does not say so — confirm with the managing agency.
Approximate outline (north up) from simplified PAD-US boundaries
Area details
| Approx. size | 469 acres |
|---|---|
| Manager | Virginia state agency (PAD-US category: state department of natural resources) Listed in PAD-US as: VA Dept of Forestry |
| Manager type | State |
| Designation | State Resource Management Area Local designation: State Forest |
| Public access (PAD-US) | Open access PAD-US definition: “requires no special requirements for public access to the property (may include regular hours of availability).” |
| County | Shenandoah County |
| Reference point | 39.05298, -78.43676 A point inside the area — not an entrance or parking lot. Google Maps · OpenStreetMap |
| Source records | 6 PAD-US records combined |
Before you hunt here
- Regulations, seasons and licenses: check with Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. This site does not list regulations.
- 2026 deer season dates in Virginia: Virginia deer season dates, copied from the state agency, with the official source linked. Areas like this can set their own dates. Score your buck.
- Managing agency: VA Dept of Forestry. We don’t have a verified direct link for this manager; the state wildlife agency above can point you to the right office.
- Boundaries: PAD-US boundaries are approximate and simplified here. Use the agency’s official maps and respect adjacent private land.
Nearby public land (within 30 miles)
- State wildlife / game area · West Virginia
Warden Lake Wildlife Management Area
115 acres · 10.3 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access - State wildlife / game area · West Virginia
Lost River Wildlife Management Area
51 acres · 13 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access - State wildlife / game area
Lake Frederick Public Fishing Lake
139 acres · 14.8 mi away
State: fish and wildlife agency
Open access - State wildlife / game area · West Virginia
Short Mountain Wildlife Management Area
8,267 acres · 15.8 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access - National Forest land · West Virginia
George Washington National Forest
106,585 acres · 17.2 mi away
U.S. Forest Service (USDA)
Open access - State wildlife / game area · West Virginia
Wardensville Wildlife Management Area
54,993 acres · 17.2 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Restricted access - State wildlife / game area · West Virginia
Edwards Run Wildlife Management Area
381 acres · 18.6 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access - State wildlife / game area · West Virginia
Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area
11,120 acres · 21.9 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access - State wildlife / game area
Thompson Wildlife Management Area
4,012 acres · 23.5 mi away
State: fish and wildlife agency
Open access - State wildlife / game area · West Virginia
South Branch Wildlife Management Area
1,304 acres · 25.5 mi away
State: department of natural resources
Open access
Distances are straight-line between reference points, not driving distance.
Source: PAD-US 4.1 (USGS), records for “Devils Backbone State Forest” in Virginia combined into one listing. How listings are built. Spotted an error? PAD-US is maintained by USGS with data from the managing agencies.