California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Home Lands Wildlife Areas Region 4 Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area

Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area - Merced & Santa Clara Counties

Deer Hunting Allowed Wildlife Viewing Hunting with Shotgun Allowed Hunting with bow and arrow Allowed Wild Pig Hunting Allowed
The symbols above are activities permitted on this Wildlife Area. Click for more info.

Location: 36 miles E of Gilroy and NE of Hwy 152.

Phone Number: (209) 826-0463

Map: Directional Map (PDF)    Directional Map (2) (PDF)

Description: 6,315 acres of steep oak-grassland (Upper unit) and steep hilly grassland (Lower unit). Foot access only. Wild pigs, black-tailed deer, gray fox, 100 species of birds.

Hunting: CDFW Press Release: Applications for Deer and Pig Hunting Open up in Western Merced County (PDF)

2013 Merced County Wildlife Areas Zone A Deer/Pig Season Application (PDF)

Lower Cottonwood Creek Unit

  • Special Restrictions: Limited to shotguns and archery equipment. No rifles or pistols may be used or possessed.
  • Unit Info & Map

Upper Cottonwood Creek Unit

All legal firearms and archery equipment is allowed.


PLEASE NOTE: Area regulations are subject to change. Special restrictions on recreational uses, hunt days and methods of take are listed in the current year's issue of Hunting and Other Public Uses on State and Federal Areas, available at CDFW offices and places where licenses are sold.