I live in Fl and planning a trip to Great Smoky Mtn National Park (TN). I'm doing some back country hiking and trying to figure out this whole firearms in parks thing. From what I can determine, you can carry a handgun in a park in accordance with the applicable state law. In Fl you can open carry while camping etc., from what I can understand about TN, you can carry if you have a permit in another state. In Fl you dont need a permit. Basically, where do I stand?
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Naional Park Open Carry
- Thread starter twant4
- Start date
hermannr
Regular Member
I would suggest you post this question on the TN specific board. Additional information may be helpful, like, how old you are, and if you posses a FL CPL.
Mojoe
New member
Carry in Natl parks
The question remains about open carrying in a National Park. I am well over 21, have a CWP for SC, Utah and all of the reciprocal states. Can I open carry while hiking in NC or TN national parks? I was under the impression that national parks were under Fed rules and state parks under state. Can anyone answer this question decisively?
The question remains about open carrying in a National Park. I am well over 21, have a CWP for SC, Utah and all of the reciprocal states. Can I open carry while hiking in NC or TN national parks? I was under the impression that national parks were under Fed rules and state parks under state. Can anyone answer this question decisively?
Firearms are allowed in National Parks subject to the state laws in which the park is located. Please note that guns are however not allowed in facilities where NPS emplyees regularly work - they must be so posted.
http://home.nps.gov/news/release.htm?id=962
hermannr
Regular Member
The NPS wishes to ignore the exemption written into the law for "hunting and other lawful purposes" to the federal facilities.
What the LAW (18 USC 930) really says is: You cannot carry into a Federal Court Building. Read it. Of course, you will have to be the test case in court to prove to the NPS that SD is a "lawful reason" and is exempt from their nonsense.
What the LAW (18 USC 930) really says is: You cannot carry into a Federal Court Building. Read it. Of course, you will have to be the test case in court to prove to the NPS that SD is a "lawful reason" and is exempt from their nonsense.
Legislation: As of February 22, 2010, a new federal law allows people who can legally possess firearms under applicable federal, state, and local laws to legally possess firearms on National Park Service land. Refer to Section 512 of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, Public Law 111-24, 123 Stat. 1764-65.
dmatting
Regular Member
If you plan on carrying within National Parks inside of NC, you need to know where the gamelands are. That is because North Carolina has restrictions on carrying within Gamelands - and many of the NC Gamelands overlay the national parks. If you are in a national park in NC and you know that the area you are in is not part of the gamelands, then you can open carry. If it is part of the gamelands, then you can't carry at all (except for something like a .22). There are some proposed changes to the rules for the next season with regards to carrying concealed, but they have not been adopted yet.
you can go here ... http://www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/WheretoHunt/PublicPlaces.aspx ... and click on the interactive gameland maps. Zoom in one the western part of the state and you will see how the gameland areas are layed out within the national parks.
I don't know anything about TN in regards to this.
Dreamer
Regular Member
I have OCed at the Wright Brothers National Monument Park, with no issues. Just don't carry into the museum or gift shop...
Mojoe
New member
Thanks for all of the response. It is very helpful.
Federal law continues to prohibit the possession of firearms in designated “federal facilities” in national parks, for example, visitor centers, offices, or maintenance buildings. These places are posted with “firearms prohibited” signs at public entrances.
http://home.nps.gov/news/release.htm?id=962
t33j
Regular Member
lol I flew into that place with a gun on my hip not too long ago.
Dreamer
Regular Member
The best thing about my visit to the WBNM was the group of 30 or so German students there on a field trip. (They appeared to be high-school age). One of the boys asked me if I was police. I said, "no, just a citizen". He didn't believe me, but my sister confirmed it. They started to gather around and ask me questions--was it registered, was it expensive, did I need a permit to carry it, etc, etc, etc. I answered all their questions, with a little lesson on US and NC law, and Civics, and I handed them several copies of my "NC Gun Rights" brochures. I bet that was the coolest brochure that most of them got during their trip.
The girls for the most part didn't seem very interested. The boys were all VERY interested though. And NONE of them appeared to be afraid, terrified, or threatened.
I think what won them over (especially the few girls who were interested) was when one of the girls asked me "why do you need a gun". I told them because I was there with my family on a short vacation, and that I loved them very much, and it was my DUTY as a Citizen and a Man to be prepared for anything that might happen, because the police have NO DUTY to protect us. Whe you talk about LOVE, RESPONSIBILITY, and FAMILY as the reason to carry, you reach a lot more people than when you talk about the Constitution, or LEO's not having a duty to protect, or the old "crimes can happen anywhere" line.
When we left, they all seemed to be seeign things my way, but they all said there was NO WAY that you could do that in Germany--even if you have a permit, you must carry concealed, or you would get harassed and probably arrested by the police. I told them that in SOME states here in the US, it was like that too, but I rarely visited those places, because I don't like to go places where the police are more of a threat to my safety than the criminals...
We don't have anything like that in TN, and the way you explain makes little sense to me, since you can't hunt in National Parks, including those in NC, so I'm at a loss as to why you could carry "something like a .22" yet other calibers are banned.
- OS
dmatting
Regular Member
With Session Law 268 (was HB650) coming into effect on Dec 1, some of the rules are changing with regards to carrying while hunting. One will be able to carry a handgun concealed if they have a CHP. My comment regarding the .22 was a bit vague - you are allowed to dispatch with a rimfire .22 during archery and muzzleloader season - I was posting from memory and I don't have much of that anymore.
With regards to gamelands in North Carolina, there are numerous gameland areas that coincide with National Parks within NC. All I can tell you is to follow the link I provided in my previous post and go to the interactive gamelands maps. These will show you the borders of the gamelands and very clearly show that many of them are within National Parks.