Public land that may allow hunting in North Carolina
100 named public land units in North Carolina from PAD-US 4.1: 76 state wildlife & game areas, 11 forests & grasslands, 11 wildlife refuges & WPAs, 2 other public land units. The largest are Nantahala National Forest, Pisgah National Forest, Croatan National Forest.
Regulations & licenses: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
This site does not list seasons, bag limits, license or permit rules. Those change every year and differ by area. Check them with North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (hunting information) before you go, and confirm the specific area is open to the hunting you plan.
All 100 areas, largest first
| Area | Acres (approx.) | Manager | Access | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantahala National Forest National Forest land | 532,527 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Macon County, Graham County + 5 more |
| Pisgah National Forest National Forest land | 511,152 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Transylvania County, McDowell County + 9 more |
| Croatan National Forest National Forest land | 161,890 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Craven County, Carteret County + 1 more |
| Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 152,880 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Dare County, Hyde County |
| Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 115,092 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Tyrrell County, Hyde County + 1 more |
| Sandhills Game Land State wildlife / game area | 65,735 | Not recorded | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Richmond County, Scotland County + 1 more |
| Holly Shelter Game Land State wildlife / game area | 64,334 | Not recorded | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Pender County |
| Uwharrie National Forest National Forest land | 51,868 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Montgomery County, Randolph County + 1 more |
| Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 50,103 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Hyde County |
| Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land State wildlife / game area | 40,666 | Not recorded | Open access | Granville County, Durham County + 1 more |
| Angola Bay Game Land State wildlife / game area | 34,529 | Not recorded | Restricted access | Pender County, Duplin County |
| Gull Rock Game Land State wildlife / game area | 28,615 | Not recorded | Open access | Hyde County |
| Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 27,630 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Gates County, Camden County + 1 more |
| North River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 25,944 | Not recorded | Restricted access | Camden County, Currituck County |
| Chowan Swamp Game Land State wildlife / game area | 23,717 | Not recorded | Open access | Gates County, Hertford County + 1 more |
| South Mountains Game Land State wildlife / game area | 22,561 | Not recorded | Open access | Rutherford County, Burke County + 2 more |
| Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 21,356 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Bertie County |
| Roanoke River Wetlands Game Land State wildlife / game area | 21,081 | Not recorded | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Martin County, Northampton County + 2 more |
| Juniper Creek Game Land State wildlife / game area | 20,557 | Not recorded | Open access | Brunswick County, Columbus County |
| R. Wayne Bailey - Caswell Game Land State wildlife / game area | 17,735 | Not recorded | Open access | Caswell County |
| Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 16,775 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Hyde County |
| Alligator River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 15,727 | Not recorded | Open access | Tyrrell County |
| Green River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 15,074 | Not recorded | Open access | Polk County, Henderson County |
| Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 14,380 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Carteret County |
| Dupont State Forest State forest | 11,794 | Not recorded | Open access | Transylvania County, Henderson County |
| Alcoa Game Land State wildlife / game area | 11,482 | Not recorded | Open access | Rowan County, Davidson County + 3 more |
| Embro Game Land State wildlife / game area | 8,869 | Not recorded | Open access | Warren County, Halifax County |
| Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 8,625 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Anson County, Richmond County |
| Goose Creek Game Land State wildlife / game area | 8,364 | Not recorded | Open access | Beaufort County, Pamlico County |
| Shocco Creek Game Land State wildlife / game area | 8,143 | Not recorded | Open access | Warren County, Halifax County + 2 more |
| Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 7,842 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Currituck County |
| Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land State wildlife / game area | 7,332 | Not recorded | Open access | Pender County, New Hanover County |
| Carteret County Game Land State wildlife / game area | 7,099 | Not recorded | Open access | Carteret County |
| Buffalo Cove Game Land State wildlife / game area | 6,670 | Not recorded | Open access | Caldwell County, Wilkes County |
| Johns River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 6,454 | Not recorded | Open access | Burke County |
| Thurmond Chatham Game Land State wildlife / game area | 6,341 | Not recorded | Restricted access | Wilkes County, Alleghany County |
| Headwaters State Forest State forest | 6,327 | Not recorded | Open access | Transylvania County |
| Bear Garden Tract State wildlife / game area | 6,273 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Restricted access | Pender County |
| Van Swamp Game Land State wildlife / game area | 5,510 | Not recorded | Open access | Washington County, Beaufort County |
| Mayo Game Land State wildlife / game area | 5,308 | Not recorded | Open access | Person County |
| Tillery Game Land State wildlife / game area | 5,244 | Not recorded | Open access | Halifax County |
| Needmore Game Land State wildlife / game area | 5,086 | Not recorded | Open access | Swain County, Macon County |
| Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 4,878 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Dare County |
| Pisgah Game Land State wildlife / game area | 4,741 | Not recorded | Open access | Burke County, McDowell County + 3 more |
| Hyco Game Land State wildlife / game area | 3,988 | Not recorded | Open access | Person County |
| Bertie County Game Land State wildlife / game area | 3,873 | Not recorded | Open access | Bertie County |
| Currituck National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 3,814 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Currituck County |
| Three Top Mountain Game Land State wildlife / game area | 3,451 | Not recorded | Open access | Ashe County |
| Neuse River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 3,388 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Restricted access | Craven County |
| Cold Mountain Game Land State wildlife / game area | 3,386 | Not recorded | Open access | Haywood County |
| Northwest River Marsh Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,854 | Not recorded | Open access | Currituck County |
| Toxaway Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,845 | Not recorded | Open access | Transylvania County |
| Sandy Mush Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,808 | Not recorded | Open access | Buncombe County, Madison County |
| Voice of America Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,808 | Not recorded | Open access | Beaufort County |
| Chatham Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,729 | Not recorded | Open access | Chatham County |
| White Oak River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,590 | Not recorded | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Onslow County |
| Roanoke Island Marshes Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,385 | Not recorded | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Dare County |
| Mitchell River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,366 | Not recorded | Open access | Surry County, Alleghany County |
| Pee Dee River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 2,308 | Not recorded | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Richmond County |
| Brinkleyville Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,848 | Not recorded | Open access | Halifax County |
| Whitehall Plantation Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,831 | Not recorded | Open access | Bladen County |
| Lantern Acres Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,830 | Not recorded | Open access | Tyrrell County, Washington County |
| Dan River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,706 | Not recorded | Open access | Rockingham County |
| Lee Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,392 | Not recorded | Open access | Lee County, Chatham County |
| Sutton Lake Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,346 | Not recorded | Open access | New Hanover County |
| Lower Fishing Creek Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,299 | Not recorded | Open access | Edgecombe County, Halifax County |
| Second Creek Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,128 | Not recorded | Open access | Rowan County |
| Perkins Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,102 | Not recorded | Open access | Davie County |
| Green Swamp State wildlife / game area | 1,041 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Restricted access | Brunswick County |
| Nicholson Creek Game Land State wildlife / game area | 1,024 | Not recorded | Open access | Hoke County |
| Light Ground Pocosin Game Land State wildlife / game area | 939 | Not recorded | Open access | Pamlico County |
| Jordan Lake Educational State Forest State forest | 933 | Not recorded | Open access | Chatham County |
| New Lake Game Land State wildlife / game area | 926 | Not recorded | Open access | Tyrrell County |
| Sandy Creek Game Land State wildlife / game area | 923 | Not recorded | Open access | Nash County, Franklin County |
| Sandhills Gamelands State wildlife / game area | 811 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Open access | Richmond County, Moore County + 1 more |
| Uwharrie Game Land State wildlife / game area | 777 | Not recorded | Open access | Randolph County, Montgomery County |
| Carolina North Forest State forest | 730 | State: other or unknown agency | Open access | Orange County |
| Elk Knob Game Land State wildlife / game area | 723 | Not recorded | Open access | Watauga County |
| Nantahala Purchase Unit National Forest land | 701 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Clay County |
| Croatan Game Land State wildlife / game area | 591 | Not recorded | Open access | Carteret County |
| J. Morgan Futch Game Land State wildlife / game area | 586 | Not recorded | Open access | Tyrrell County |
| Cherokee National Forest National Forest land | 511 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Ashe County, Madison County + 3 more |
| Pungo River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 476 | Not recorded | Open access | Hyde County |
| Backbone Ridge State Forest State forest | 474 | Not recorded | Restricted access | Caldwell County |
| Rhodes Pond Game Land State wildlife / game area | 454 | Not recorded | Open access | Cumberland County |
| Cranberry Iron Mine State wildlife / game area | 302 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Restricted access | Avery County |
| Hinson Game Land State wildlife / game area | 219 | Not recorded | Open access | Richmond County |
| Waccamaw River State wildlife / game area | 213 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Restricted access | Columbus County |
| Currituck Banks Game Land State wildlife / game area | 172 | Not recorded | Open access | Currituck County |
| Hill Farm Game Land State wildlife / game area | 156 | Not recorded | Open access | Stokes County |
| Browns Island Tracts State wildlife / game area | 152 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Restricted access | Carteret County |
| Linwood Game Land State wildlife / game area | 141 | Not recorded | Open access | Davidson County |
| Sampson Game Land State wildlife / game area | 135 | Not recorded | Open access | Sampson County |
| Cape Fear Wetlands Game Land State wildlife / game area | 129 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Restricted access | Duplin County |
| McCain Tract Other state land | 122 | State: other or unknown agency | Restricted access | Hoke County |
| Tar River Game Land State wildlife / game area | 119 | Not recorded | Open access | Edgecombe County |
| Green Swamp Game Land State wildlife / game area | 80 | State: fish and wildlife agency | Restricted access | Brunswick County |
| Salmon Creek-Nichols Farm Other state land | 77 | State: department of conservation | Restricted access | Bertie County |
| Great Island Game Land State wildlife / game area | 41 | Not recorded | Open access | Craven County |
| Robeson County Game Land State wildlife / game area | 41 | Not recorded | Open access | Robeson County |
Acreage is calculated from simplified PAD-US boundaries for the portion inside North Carolina. “Access” is the PAD-US public access field, not a statement about hunting. National wildlife refuges are generally coded “restricted” in PAD-US because of seasonal or area closures.
Browse by county
- Avery County
- Beaufort County
- Bertie County
- Brunswick County
- Burke County
- Caldwell County
- Carteret County
- Chatham County
- Craven County
- Currituck County
- Dare County
- Davidson County
- Halifax County
- Henderson County
- Hyde County
- Madison County
- Mcdowell County
- Mitchell County
- Montgomery County
- Pender County
- Richmond County
- Transylvania County
- Tyrrell County
- Washington County