One of the largest game lands in North Carolina, with vast pocosins, longleaf pine savannas, and bottomland hardwood forest. Remote, unmarked, and genuinely wild.
Holly Shelter Game Land covers more than 55,000 acres in the flat, wet landscape between Burgaw and the coast — one of the largest blocks of wild land in eastern North Carolina. The terrain is a mix of pocosin wetland, longleaf pine savanna, Atlantic white cedar swamp, and bottomland hardwood forest. It is not a manicured nature park. There are miles of gravel roads, unmarked trails, and sections that flood seasonally and are impassable without a high-clearance vehicle.
That's what makes it exceptional. Black bears are common here. Red-cockaded woodpeckers, a federally threatened species, nest in the old-growth longleaf pines. Bobcats move through the pocosins. In winter, the migratory waterfowl can be extraordinary — thousands of ducks and geese using the wetland impoundments that the NC Wildlife Resources Commission manages for hunting and habitat.
Non-hunters are welcome year-round outside of active hunting seasons. The fall and winter hunting seasons (roughly October through January) are when you need to be most aware of where you are and what's open. The WRC publishes the current schedule, and wearing blaze orange during those months is a reasonable precaution. Outside of hunting season, you may have 55,000 acres almost entirely to yourself.
Practical tips
- Download the WRC game land map before visiting — many roads are unsigned
- A high-clearance vehicle is strongly recommended; some roads flood after heavy rain
- Wear blaze orange in fall and winter during active hunting seasons
- The paved Holly Shelter Road off US-117 is accessible by any vehicle and gives a good sense of the area
- Bring a compass or download an offline map — cell service is unreliable throughout
More photos
Worth combining with this
Longleaf Pine Savanna
A landscape that used to cover most of the Southeast.
Open, airy, and surprisingly beautiful in the right light. The longleaf pine ecosystem is one of the most endangered in North America, and there are good examples within easy range of Burgaw.
Northeast Cape Fear River Walk
Quiet water, tall cypress, and no cell service.
A trail through the bottomland forest along the river that rewards patience. Best in early morning when the light hits the water and the egrets are out. Wear decent shoes — it can be soft underfoot.