Shannondale Springs Wildlife Management Area West — Attraction in Charles Town

Shannondale Springs WMA is a great place to get out and do some bird watching or walking your dog during nonhuntunting seasons. During hunting seasons it gets a lot of use by hunters and parking can be tight. I have hunted the area for small game with much success but not during deer season since I have heard it can be very crowded. There are excellent places to fish although the health of the Shenandoah River is problematic. I would give it a five except for the lack of trail maps or other information available on site or online and because some folks use the parking ares to dispose of trash and deer carcasses. We rarely leave the area without filling a trash bag (or more) with the trash others have...

A nice walk along the river, flat trail goes into wooded area, fields, rocky spots here and there. Some large crusher run stones in some spots. Good for families with young kids. Gave 4 out of 5 due to the trash. A little disturbing and disgusting. How about the DNR, local or state gov. place a fricking dumpster on the premises for the idiots who dump trash. Don't people understand that places like this can be shut down if we do not keep them clean? Beer bottles galore, prepared food left in foil trays, and actual bags of trash. Or better yet send the inmates in to clean up the place and then put some security cameras up at the entrance. Sorry about that rant. Have fun and...

Everything is great until the hunting. If you are thinking about hunting just be careful. Hunters get harassed by the locals during the season. People shoot deer and just leave them in the woods. I found 5 this year. There was at least 2 fights and I promise you will have bullets wiz by you. The Game Warden would rather search people and cars instead of doing his damn job dealing with wildlife. To the locals that harassed everyone get some ethics and stop being trashy...