If you carefully keep your bird records by county, be sure to use the specific hotspots in this area so that the birds will be assigned to the proper county. The Westmoreland-Fayette county line follows Jacobs Creek through this State Game Land. Westmoreland County is north and Fayette County is south of the creek.

State Game Land (SGL) 296 is in Lower Tyrone and Perry Townships, Fayette County, and South Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County. It consists of four (4) compartments and has
a deeded acreage of 2421.8.

The Game Commission currently maintains five (5) public parking areas on this game land, all located in the large central tract (Compartment 1). The farthest point on SGL 296 by foot from a parking area or public road is approximately 1.1 miles. There are no parking lots on the other three compartments. There are 10.7 miles of maintained administrative roads throughout the game land providing public access to this area by foot. Roads are currently closed year-round to public motor vehicle traffic and access is controlled with locked gates, except for the gate at the parking area off Township Road (TR) 317. Since 2001, this gate has been opened for the first day of the fall archery season until the end of the flintlock season, allowing access to a parking area at the power line running through the center of this SGL. Gated roads, gas lines, and power line rights-of-way provide access for hunters and trappers as well as avenues for hiking, and other outdoor activities. There are no designated routes for horseback riding, mountain biking, or snowmobiling.

State game land 296 is made up of a river valley and various drainages that make it somewhat hilly with steep ravines. Elevations within SGL 296 range from 800 feet at Jacobs Creek to over 1,400 feet on several of the hilltops.