Guides · Updated 2026-10-15
How to read PAD-US access labels (and what they do not mean)
What Open, Restricted, and Closed mean in USGS PAD-US, why hunting may still be illegal on “Open” land, and how to use Public Access listings safely.
Public Access hunting layers come from the USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US). The Access field is about public entry to the land, not a hunting green light.
Common access values
- Open — Generally open to public entry. You may still need a day-use fee, a hunting permit, or to stay on roads.
- Restricted — Public access exists but with limits (permits, seasonal gates, designated trails only).
- Closed — Not open to general public entry. Do not treat the pin as a place to walk in.
- Unknown — Data gap. Assume you must verify with the manager.
What PAD-US never tells you
- Whether the deer season is open this weekend.
- Whether a refuge unit is a no-hunting sanctuary.
- Exact fence lines for every parcel (centroids can sit far from a parking lot).
- Local walk-in leases that are private land with temporary public permission.
Safe workflow
- Find a candidate area on Public Access.
- Note the manager name (Forest Service, state parks, FWS, etc.).
- Open that agency’s map and regulations for the same unit name.
- Confirm seasons and parking, then go.