There is a good chance that if you’re reading this, you enjoy National Parks. These special tracts of land  feature some of the most breathtaking and unique natural treasures across the country. Consequently, in 2021, the National Park Service saw nearly 300 million visits.

If you’re looking for quiet or solitude, that number and what it represents could potentially give you pause. If you’re looking to fish in certain places at specific times of the year, you might have a better chance of hooking a fellow tourist than a rising trout.

But what if a park eliminated over half of its access roads? What if there were limited visitor amenities (such as bathrooms and ranger stations with WiFi)? What if there were thousands of acres that could only be approached by foot, paddle, or off-road vehicle?

That all exists. And it is yours to enjoy and to fish. Just like all US citizens have National Parks, we have their wilder and more rustic cousins: National Forests.

Concurrent with what was the fledgling National Park initiative, President Benjamin Harrison enacted the Land Revision Act of 1891. The initial purpose was to conserve land in southern California from detrimental grazing practices. Some of the first  forests impacted by the Act would be brought into new National Parks. Within 20 years, the US Forest Service was created as a division of the  US Department of Agriculture. Land under their purview grew to over 100 million acres.

The most significant difference between National Parks and National Forests is their use. While Parks have been set aside purely for recreation and conservation, Forests may also be used for their resources. Over the 20th century, in various ways and with various regulations National Forests have been logged, grazed, and used for their water. Straddling the line of conservation and industry, and falling under the oversight of the federal government, the philosophy of National Forests is frequently contested.

The particulars of the politics and policies surrounding the National Forests are worth noting. But while you’re reading and researching, you can also venture out into  the 193 million acres to fish, hike, and enjoy  the more rugged side of public land. Statistically, you’re more likely to be close to a National Forest than a National Park.

Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains are two of the premier National Parks of the east. But between those lands in Virginia and Tennessee, there is a virtually unbroken swath of public land created by the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Cherokee, and Nantahala National Forests. Immediately adjacent to these  three massive areas are the Monongahela, Daniel Boone, Pisgah, and Chattahoochie-Oconee National Forests. Moving westward, there are huge percentages of entire states that are managed by the US Forest Service. Which means you can access that land.

Suffice to say,  there are plenty of places to pursue fish in National Forests. Much more than National Parks, these federally managed forests are found in the parts of the county that are also home to trout. There are coastal and lowland forests, the majority are constituted by mountains and valleys.

Explore your local National Forest. Probe deep into lands inaccessible by car. Expect to find fish that haven’t seen a human, much less a fly. Encounter  breathtaking and unique natural treasures; but in these places, you get to do so by yourself.

This is a screenshot from the US Forest Service’s website highlighting the fishing opportunities. The federal website is a great first stop for information about outdoor recreation. After that, follow up with local fly shops and other online resources.