Public lands in North Carolina
24 units whose boundary reaches North Carolina, 3.7 million acres counted whole even where a boundary crosses into another state. 11 national wildlife refuges, 12 wilderness areas, 1 national forest. Largest first within each type.
Data refreshed September 17, 2026.
National wildlife refuges
Refuge · USFWS
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
153,637 acresNational Wildlife Refuge
Refuge · USFWS
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
116,496 acresNational Wildlife Refuge
Refuge · USFWS
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
114,142 acresAlso VA
Refuge · USFWS
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge
49,850 acresNational Wildlife Refuge
Refuge · USFWS
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge
21,312 acresNational Wildlife Refuge
Refuge · USFWS
Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge
16,689 acresNational Wildlife Refuge
Refuge · USFWS
Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge
14,360 acres4 campgrounds near
Refuge · USFWS
Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge
8,735 acresAlso VA
Refuge · USFWS
Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge
8,621 acresNational Wildlife Refuge
Refuge · USFWS
Currituck National Wildlife Refuge
7,985 acresNational Wildlife Refuge
Refuge · USFWS
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
4,862 acres1 campground near
Wilderness areas
Wilderness · USFS
Southern Nantahala Wilderness
23,364 acres10 campgrounds near
Wilderness · USFS
Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness
19,246 acres21 campgrounds near
Wilderness · USFS
Shining Rock Wilderness
18,477 acres14 campgrounds near
Wilderness · USFS
Pocosin Wilderness
11,801 acres1 campground near
Wilderness · USFS
Linville Gorge Wilderness
11,653 acres3 campgrounds near
Wilderness · USFS
Sheep Ridge Wilderness
9,315 acres1 campground near
Wilderness · USFWS
Swanquarter Wilderness
8,784 acresWilderness
Wilderness · USFS
Catfish Lake South Wilderness
8,490 acres1 campground near
Wilderness · USFS
Ellicott Rock Wilderness
8,300 acres7 campgrounds near
Wilderness · USFS
Middle Prong Wilderness
7,482 acres10 campgrounds near
Wilderness · USFS
Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
5,065 acresWilderness
Wilderness · USFS
Pond Pine Wilderness
1,692 acres1 campground near