TexasCHLforum.com

Can I carry there? I called the office and they said I can bring it if it's unloaded and the ammo is separate. But I 'm not sure if the lady was 100% sure herself.

As I recall the laws, state parks are not expressly prohibited, and, as government-owned property cannot post a binding 30.06 sign, so you should be clear to carry with a valid CHL. I am sure someone with more familiarity with the laws will chime in shortly, in case I am wrong.

Somewhere on this forum is a post that contains a copy of an internal Parks and Wildlife memo that basically says CHL holders can carry.

try this link to packing.org

http://www.packing.org/state/documents/ ... letter.gif

it is legal to carry, I would print a copy of this and carry it with me.

Be aware that several TPWD parks and wildlife areas are located on Federally-owned land (the State leases, or has a license to operate, the land and/or facilities from the Federal Government). Parks and wildlife areas like Cooper Dam-Jim Chapman Lake, White Oak Creek Wildlife Area, Atlanta State Park at Lake Wright Patman, Whitney State Park at Lake Whitney, and several others operated by TPWD, are located on US Army Corps of Engineers owned lands and there is a regulation against any firearm except during hunting seasons, and then only in specific areas and specific long guns - no handguns. Just to avoid getting a citation from the Corps ranger or having local law enforcement called to check you out because you are found with a weapon, best ask the question first and be legal. Yes - I already know it is silly and contradictory - but despite a letter writing campaign about a year ago - I have never heard anything from the Corps except that it is their existing policy and current regulation.

evil_smurf wrote:Heya,

I did some searching on these forums about carrying in texas parks and found this thread.

So, if I understand correctly, the best bet would be to call the park and make sure that you can legally carry concealed, even though it's not expressly prohibited in the CHL statutes (is that the word im looking for?). You cannot carry concealed if the park sits atop federal land. Correct?

If that is the only restriction, does anybody have an actual sure list of parks that is federal land?

How would I go about calling and actually getting a hold of somebody that would actually know what the correct answer would be? We are thinking of going to dinosaur valley state park, as well as maybe cleborne and a couple of others. I deffinetly don't want to get in trouble, or have someone tell me "sure you can carry" and then have a police officer tell me otherwise in not such a nice way.

I'm real close to Cleburne St Park and Dino Valley is just 30min away. I've been in and out of them a lot and i've never had a problem.
Course concealed means concealed.

From my understanding, CHLers can carry in a State Park.
As far as the Federal property issue, I don't know the rules. But I have carried at Corp parks.

I would presume the same law that prevents governmental agencies from posting 30.06 signs in such places as city halls and other publicly owned buildings would apply to state owned park land.

Last time I emailed TxPWD, I never got a reply.....

evil_smurf wrote:Well I emailed them on Friday asking for a list of start parks that reside on federal land, and have yet to get an answer back yet.

Are there such things? If it's a state park, it's state land.

Kevin

I would think that if the States "leases" the land for a park from the Federal Government that the 30.06 (e) would apply as it refers to land "leased" by a governmental agency.

Aha. Yes, if the state leases the land, it's covered by 30.06(e).

But.... the Corps of Engineers might believe they have a landlord's right, and try to impose their gun ban. I don't know that, just tossing it out as a possibility.

The CoE rules state that no loaded firearms are allowed, except for LEOs.

Kevin