North Carolina

The Linville Gorge Wilderness now contains a total of 11,786 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of North Carolina.

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws. For the Linville Gorge Wilderness, this process began in 1964 when 7,655 acres were designated by Public Law 88-577.

The Catfish Lake South Wilderness now contains a total of 8,530 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of North Carolina.

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws.

Apalachia Reservoir is a small, deep, cool-water lake set in the mountains of western North Carolina. The dam was built primarily to generate hydropower, but the reservoir also provides a beautiful site for fishing, canoeing, hiking, and primitive camping.

Adjacent to the Nantahala National Forest, the reservoir has very little private shoreline development, and there are no commercial recreation facilities on it.

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge was established on March 14, 1984. It contains

152,195 acres which lie on the mainland portions of Dare and Hyde Counties, North Carolina. The Refuge is roughly 28 miles from north to south and 15 miles from east to west. It is bordered on the west by the Alligator River and the Intracoastal Waterway; on the north by Albemarle Sound; on the east by Croatan and Pamlico Sounds; and on the south by Long Shoal River and corporate farmland.

Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge

Situated along the Pee Dee River, Pee Dee NWR contains 8,443 acres in Anson and Richmond Counties, NC. The refuge was established to provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl.

Cooperative farming in field impoundments, water level management, and the bottomland hardwood forest along Brown Creek provide excellent habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Wintering waterfowl numbers fluctuate greatly, but can exceed 10,000 birds yearly. The refuge also supports a small population of wintering Southern James Bay Canada geese.

The Shining Rock Wilderness now contains a total of 18,483 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of North Carolina.

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws. For the Shining Rock Wilderness, this process began in 1964 when 13,400 acres were designated by Public Law 88-577.

The Southern Nantahala Wilderness now contains a total of 23,473 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Georgia contains approximately 11,770 acres. North Carolina contains approximately 11,703 acres.

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws. For the Southern Nantahala Wilderness, this process began in 1984 when 10,900 acres were designated by Public Law 98-324.

Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1960 to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl, primarily the greater snow goose. Located between Back Bay in Virginia and the Currituck Sound in NC, the refuge is comprised primarly of marsh habitat. This area has long been recognized for supporting significant migratory waterfowl populations and sport fishery resources.

Located in eastern North Carolina in Hyde County, the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 50,000 acres of water, marsh, timber and crop lands. The refuge's most significant feature is Lake

Mattamuskeet, the largest natural lake in North Carolina. The lake is 16 miles long, five to six miles wide,

The Sheep Ridge Wilderness now contains a total of 9,297 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of North Carolina.

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws. For the Sheep Ridge Wilderness, this process began in 1984 when 9,540 acres were designated by Public Law 98-324.

The Sheep Ridge Wilderness is part of the 106 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System.