I live very close to here, and they have some very nice facilities. One very nice park inside the "restricted area",and another outside the so called "restricted area". The "restricted area" has a fence around it with gates that I have never seen closed, even at night. Signs posted on the fence in essence say "no photography, sketches, etc." and if you do, then you and your vehicle can be searched.
Outside the restricted area there are mutliple trails and roadways winding through fields and around some fishing ponds and streams. They have a number of vault type toilets in the wildlife areas and one in each park. They also have two or three blinds for observing and photographing birds and other wildlife.
Deer are plentiful in the area, and are less fearful of the human presence than in many areas, one individual was gored when he tried to approach a buck deer too closely during the rutting season. I have personally spotted and photographed many deer, eagles (around January and February), various birds, foxes, and marmots. I have barely scratched the surface.
One caveat, be careful of the security guards. These guys are frustrated, cop wannabe flunk outs, on steroids. At least that is my assessment of them. They carry mace, stun guns, handcuffs and automatic pistols, and work hard at portraying themselves as the stereotypical, southern redneck, "Cool Hand Luke" cop, replete with shaved heads and mirrored sunglasses. If they are having a bad day, or are just bored they may try and intimidate you into not doing something you have a right to do. Some of the dam employees are the same way, and try and tell you, "you cannot take pictures here". ANYTHING outside the "restricted areas" is fair game to photograph or to walk on and enjoy. I am not the only one, I have talked to boaters, fisherman, and one other photographer who have told me they have made up rules on the spot as to what they could do and where they could go.
One note on the "restricted areas", they are marked with signs on the fences every fifty feet or so, but the restricted areas are somewhat ambiguous. Some areas are marked and it is very obvious they are trying to keep the general public out, and rightly so. Other areas are marked as restricted, but as noted earlier, have roads and trails going through them where the gates are left open 24/7, to my knowledge. Perhaps this is to accommodate the security guards and give them something to do (harass the public) when they tire of playing solitaire in their guard shack. read more