You Can Carry in the Forest — But Not in the Bathroom

A new bill in Congress would end one of the most absurd gun laws most Americans have never heard of. Here's what it means for Missouri hunters, hikers, and anglers.

Picture this.

You're a Missouri hunter, legal concealed carry permit holder, heading into the Mark Twain National Forest for a weekend deer hunt. You're carrying a sidearm — legal under Missouri law, legal under federal law, legal in every part of the forest you're walking through.

Then you stop at a ranger station to pick up a trail map.

Under current federal law, you just committed a crime.

Not because you're dangerous. Not because you did anything wrong. Not because the law makes any logical sense. But because a blanket federal restriction prohibits carrying a firearm inside any building on federal land — visitor centers, ranger stations, restrooms, and everything in between. The moment you stepped through that door with your sidearm, you became a federal criminal.

Walk back outside. You're legal again.

That's the law as it stands today. And Congress just introduced a bill to fix it.

What the Federal Lands Lawful Carry Act Does

H.R. 9719 — the Federal Lands Lawful Carry Act — was introduced July 16, 2026 by Representatives Rudy Yakym (R-IN) and Pat Fallon (R-TX), with support from the NRA, Gun Owners of America, and the Second Amendment Foundation.

The bill does one simple thing: it clarifies that law-abiding Americans can carry firearms inside buildings on federal land if they are in compliance with the laws of the state where that land is located.

That's it. No new rights created. No new exemptions carved out. No weakening of any existing federal gun law. Just a straightforward fix to a legal absurdity that has been turning responsible gun owners into accidental criminals for years.

As Rep. Yakym explained: "This legislation closes a loophole that turns responsible gun owners into accidental criminals and lets park rangers focus on managing our public lands instead of enforcing unnecessary restrictions."

Rep. Fallon added: "Not being allowed to carry in the woods lawfully and the presence of vast tracts of wilderness puts lives at risk. Someone following federal firearm laws and those for that area should not be disarmed when they very well may face an unexpected situation calling for immediate self-defense."

The Current Law — And Why It Makes No Sense

Under existing federal policy, visitors to most federal lands may carry firearms in accordance with the laws of the state where the land is located. This has been the rule since 2009, when Congress included a provision in the Credit Card Accountability Act — in a move that surprised almost everyone — allowing carry on National Park land consistent with state law.

But there's a catch nobody talks about: that carry right evaporates the moment you step inside any building on that land. Visitor centers. Ranger stations. Pit toilets in the middle of a national forest. Every one of them is a federally enforced gun-free zone — regardless of what the state says, regardless of your permit status, regardless of whether you've done anything wrong.

US Army Corps of Engineers land goes even further. USACE manages millions of acres across America — and bans firearms entirely, even in outdoor areas, not just inside buildings.

The practical result: a hunter who can legally carry a sidearm into the woods for protection against wildlife must disarm to ask a park ranger for directions, then re-arm upon walking back outside. A woman hiking alone in the Mark Twain National Forest can carry for self-defense on the trail — but not in the restroom at the trailhead.

What It Means for Missouri

Missouri has more federal land than most people realize — and this bill affects every acre of it.

Mark Twain National Forest covers 1.5 million acres across 29 Missouri counties — including prime hunting ground in the Ozarks, popular hiking trails, and some of the best turkey and deer habitat in the state. Every hunter and hiker who carries on that land is currently required to disarm before entering any building.

US Army Corps of Engineers land includes some of Missouri's most popular outdoor recreation destinations — Truman Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Stockton Lake, Harry S Truman Reservoir, and extensive bottomland along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Under current USACE policy, carrying a firearm on USACE-managed land is prohibited outright — even outside, even with a Missouri concealed carry permit, even for hunters accessing adjacent land.

National Park Service land in Missouri includes the Gateway Arch National Park, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, George Washington Carver National Monument, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, and Harry S Truman National Historic Site. Carry is allowed outside under Missouri law — but prohibited inside every visitor center, museum, and facility building on the grounds.

For Missouri's outdoor community — which is among the most active in the country — this isn't a theoretical legal issue. It's a practical daily reality for anyone who hunts, fishes, hikes, or camps on federal land.

Post-Wolford, the Legal Landscape Is Shifting

The timing of this bill is no accident. Following the Supreme Court's June 25, 2026 ruling in Wolford v. Lopez — which struck down Hawaii's default rule banning concealed carry on private property open to the public — the legal framework for "sensitive place" restrictions is being tested everywhere.

The government must now justify firearms restrictions through the historical tradition of firearm regulation under Bruen's framework. A blanket ban on carrying inside a visitor center or ranger station — with no historical tradition to support it — is exactly the kind of restriction that increasingly cannot survive constitutional scrutiny.

Congress has the opportunity to fix this legislatively before the courts are forced to do it anyway. H.R. 9719 is the cleaner solution.

Where the Bill Stands

H.R. 9719 was introduced July 16, 2026 and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. It currently has bipartisan potential — the absurdity of disarming hunters in federal restrooms is not a partisan issue. But committee referral is just the beginning. The bill needs a committee vote, a floor vote in the House, passage in the Senate, and the President's signature to become law.

Trump has repeatedly expressed support for expanding gun rights on federal land — including national right to carry and the Federal Lands Lawful Carry Act specifically. If it moves, it could move fast.

What You Can Do

Contact Missouri's Congressional delegation and urge them to support H.R. 9719. Missouri's federal land users — hunters, anglers, hikers, and campers — deserve the same right to self-defense on the trail that they enjoy at home.

You can find your representative at house.gov and your senators at senate.gov.

Stay current on 2A legislation and news affecting Missouri gun owners at mmguns.com/blog/downrange. Stop in and see us at 5578 Salt River Road, Saint Peters, MO 63376 | 636-387-1199

All purchases subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws. Missouri is a constitutional carry state; however, individual municipalities and political subdivisions retain the right to require a valid CCW permit to carry within their jurisdiction. Know your local laws before you carry.