National Recreation Areas

Nature’s Beauty Is On Full Display At U.S. National Recreation Areas

U.S. national recreation areas are spectacular treasures that should be experienced by everyone. They instill in visitors a new respect and appreciation for the awesome beauty and grandeur of America’s West. Be dazzled by North America’s deepest gorge and visit Hells Canyon. Lose yourself in the majesty of four stunning mountain ranges at Sawtooth. Marvel at the awesome landscapes of Bighorn Canyon. Or enjoy abundant recreational opportunities at Flaming Gorge. View some of the best Rocky Mountain recreation areas below.

• Hells Canyon National Recreation Area – Hugging the borders of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho, this national showcase holds 652,488 acres of beauty and adventure, where you can let your senses run as wild as the landscape. Features North America’s deepest gorge. www.fs.fed.us/hellscanyon/
• Sawtooth National Recreation Area – One of the largest, most magnificent National Recreation Areas in the United States. Four mountain ranges -- the Sawtooths, Boulders, White Clouds, and Smokies -- provide scenic landscapes in every direction, with more than 50 major peaks over 10,000 feet, 300 lakes, and 250 miles of trails. There are also more than 1,000 high mountain lakes. www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth/
• Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area – The canyon offers a diversified landscape of forest, mountains, upland prairie, deep canyons, broad valleys, high desert, lakes, and wetlands. www.nps.gov/BICA
• Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area – Flaming Gorge is a huge reservoir providing outstanding opportunity for boating, fishing, skiing, jet skiing, houseboating, and other water sports. It’s also famous for its trophy lake trout, and a good number of 30-plus-pound fish are caught each year. www.wyomingtourism.org/overview/Flaming-Gorge-Recreation-Area/32475

Impressive Northern Rocky Mountain Recreation Areas

Reach extraordinary new heights of travel. Use the Top 10 Scenic Drives in the Northern Rockies to find the best national recreation.