Budget conscious outdoorsmen may find a lot to do during this week’s Forth of July Holiday. If things look a little too expensive at the shore or in the cooler climes of the hills, look around you for the various publicly owned parks that may be located very close by your home base. Our tax money pays for these facilities, we might as well make good use of them.

North Carolina is especially blessed with a huge variety of federally owned parks, state parks, county parks and city parks. Even the national and state forest aren’t formally called “parks” I’m including these in this line-up of publicly-owned facilities that can offer the citizens of this United States wonderful opportunities for recreation.

Due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions (Washington, DC and Chicago) having to do with guns and the Second Amendment, I can’t help but point out that many of these publically-owned facilities now allow most U.S. citizens to carry weapons while on these lands. The reason I mention this is that some of these public lands also offer the free use of shooting ranges and, with hunting seasons looming close by, many outdoorsmen will be honing their shooting skills there.

I do recommend that you check with each individual agency as to what the rules are having to do with firearms in your possession on these lands. Sometimes the new laws take a lot of time to filter down to the various individual units. This is particularly true after the recent McDonald decision in the State of Illinois (Chicago).

I’m particularly fond of the U.S. Forest Service’s vast lands spread across the United States. Some of the very best camping, fishing and hunting to be had in the nation are available on these federally–owned facilities.

One of my favorite campgrounds that’s on these U.S. Forest Service lands is found just outside Franklin, N.C. in the Nantahala National Forest. The Standing Indian Campground is a few miles east off US Highway 64 and the well-known Appalachian Trail cuts through the Nantahala National Forest there.

The campground is located alongside the headwaters of the Nantahala River which is one of North Carolina’s premier trout streams. Biologists for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission have told me that this stream averages about ten degrees (F.) colder than most of the trout streams in this part of Macon County and is home to some really trophy-sized rainbow and brown trout. Feeder streams leading into this upper part of the Nantahala River also hold some of the last remnants of the eastern brook trout found in the south.

The Nantahala River gets smaller and smaller as you proceed upstream and, if you go far enough upstream, you may just cross into the State of Georgia.

Trout fishing on the upper Nantahala River is somewhat restricted in creel limits and equipment allowed so rather than confuse you with what these restrictions are I choose to refer you to http://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/Fish_Trout_Fishing_Info_NC.htm to view the regulations for this trout stream.

The campground itself is well maintained and really, as far as the facility itself is concerned, is pretty much the same as lots of other NFS campgrounds. The individual campsites are not crowded, there are fire rings on site and there are rest rooms available (no showers and I can attest to the fact that the Nantahala’s waters are indeed pretty cold even when you’re desperate for a bath).

As many experienced campers will tell you there are nightly wildlife visitors to the camping area so it’s best to protect your food and keep your campsite clean. I’d even go so far as to recommend that you keep your tent or camper’s doors closed at night as raccoons and skunks are pretty bold about visiting you up close and personal at night.

It used to be that there was some really wonderful ruffed grouse shooting to be had as you hiked along the edges of the Nantahala River but informed sources tell me that grouse are few and far between these days. On the other hand there’s lots of good wild turkey hunting to be had in the area and there are ever increasing numbers of both feral and “Russian” boar in the area. Black bear populations seem to be increasing in the area too so the land surrounding the Standing Indian area are well known to hunters.

While campgrounds are numerous on National Forest Service lands this section of the Nantahala National Forest stands out with me. I’ve fished, camped, hiked and hunted this Standing Indian area for many years and it still remains my number one favorite individual spot in our national forest.

Likewise the U.S. Department of the Interior and its U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has facilities that offer not only wildlife viewing and hunting but excellent fishing on some refuges as well.

A question I’m often asked is, “What’s your favorite largemouth bass fishing lake in North Carolina” and my reply is always that Lake Mattamuskeet is.

While some of Lake Mattamuskeet is privately owned the vast majority of this 50,000-acre lake is owned by us Americans and is managed by our own U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

Since the Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge implies that this largest natural lake in North Carolina is managed for wildlife as in wild ducks and geese, fish are also considered to be part of the wildlife scene.

Since a Presidential Order was issued from the then President Clinton to give equal attention to the aquatic resources on the national wildlife refuges, closer attention has been paid to the fishery resources of this shallow lake. Boating access areas are far better maintained than they were a few years ago and fishermen are again finding the bass fishing on Lake Mattamuskeet to be good.

Note that this lake is extremely shallow and full of stumps and well fertilized (millions of ducks and geese do a good job of this) aquatic vegetation. For largemouth bass and panfish this lake is made to order for the fly rod angler who can work a lure over the isolated pockets of clear water without hanging up in too many weeds.

Special areas are set aside on the refuge for wildlife viewing and throughout the year the numbers and variety of waterfowl passing through this famous lake can be astounding. Bird watchers from all over the world visit Lake Mattamuskeet to witness the annual migration of waterfowl.

Since limited waterfowl hunting is allowed on the Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge it is a good idea to check on these hunting opportunities at the USFWS headquarters to find out what they are for this year (252-926-4021).

Again, special regulations govern the use of boats, size limits and equipment so check with the above mentioned NCWRC website for local regulations.