State guide

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.

100listed areas
2.3Macres (approx.)
76state wildlife & game areas

Deer season 2026–27: archery opens Sept. 12, 2026; firearms Oct. 17 – Nov. 28, 2026 (by zone) (Gun, antlered). All North Carolina dates by zone (checked Sep 26, 2026)

North Carolina deer season dates for 2026 (from the state agency) · Deer score calculator · How to score a buck

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 the state agency before you go, and confirm the specific area is open to the hunting you plan.

Check regulations with North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Where the listed areas are

State wildlife & game areas (76)Forests & grasslands (11)Wildlife refuges & WPAs (11)Other public land (2)

One dot per area at its reference point; larger dots are larger areas. Outline: U.S. Census Bureau.

Acres by land type

Approximate acres for the portion of each unit inside North Carolina.

Photos from North Carolina public lands

All photo credits

National Forest land
Pisgah National Forest
511,152 acres
Photo: USDAgov · public domain · original source
National Forest land
Cherokee National Forest
511 acres
Photo: USDAgov · public domain · original source

Public-domain photos by U.S. federal agencies, taken in the place named on each card.

All 100 areas, largest first

Land type Manager PAD-US access Minimum size

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

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.