National Recreation Areas
National recreation areas are managed by the National Park Service and sit alongside national parks, monuments, and historic sites as part of the broader system of federally protected land in the United States. They tend to be large, centered around a significant natural or man-made feature, and designed for a wide range of outdoor use. Hiking, boating, fishing, camping, and scenic driving are all part of what these areas offer.
This section covers the national recreation areas I have visited, with firsthand write-ups, practical visit information, and photos from each stop.
National Recreation Areas Visited
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area stretches across more than a million acres of canyon country on the Arizona-Utah border, centered on Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. The dam holds back the Colorado River to create one of the largest reservoirs in the country. The recreation area surrounding it offers some of the most dramatic desert lake scenery in the American Southwest.