Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area

Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Location Shasta County & Trinity County, California, USA
Nearest city Redding, California
Area 203,587 acres (82,389 ha)
Established November 8, 1965
Visitors 782,014 (Whiskeytown Alone) (in 2007)
Governing body National Park Service, United States Forest Service

The Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area in northern California. It has a total of 203,587 acres (82,389 ha) of land, which is divided into three units, Whiskeytown, Shasta and Trinity. The recreation area was established in 1965 by the United States Congress. The National Park Service manages the Whiskeytown unit. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest surrounds the Shasta and Trinity units, so they are managed by the United States Forest Service. Recreational activities available include camping, fishing, swimming, boating and hiking.

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Shasta-Trinity units

There are only 18 National Recreation Areas under U.S. Forest Service management designated in the United States, and the Shasta-Trinity units are somewhat unique because they are made up of 4 lakes with very distinct recreation opportunities. Of the 246,087 acres (99,588 ha) that make up the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity Unit, 203,587 acres (82,389 ha) are managed by the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The Forest Service manages Shasta, Trinity and Lewiston Lakes.

Trinity unit

The Trinity area with its four subunits: Lewiston Lake, Trinity Dam, Stuart Fork and North Lake areas have many opportunities for recreation from great trout fishing in Lewiston Lake, to scenic driving along Trinity Heritage National Scenic Byway, to picturesque picnicking. Camping and trail use are among the top pastimes. Trinity Lake, when full, has 145 miles (233 km) of shoreline, contains 17,000 acres (6,900 ha) and holds 2,500,000 acre feet (3,100 Gl) of water. Trinity Dam is one of the highest earth filled dams in the world.

Shasta unit

Shasta Lake has four distinctive arms; Sacramento, McCloud, Squaw and Pit. Each is a wonderland of scenic beauty and phenomenal outdoor recreation that attracts enormous crowds to its striking landscape. As with the case of Trinity and Whiskeytown, water sport enthusiasts find plenty of private and public accommodations to meet their needs. Marinas, boat ramps, campgrounds, shoreline picnic areas and superb multi-use trails exist.

Shasta Lake is the largest man-made reservoir in California. When full, the lake has 370 miles (600 km) of shoreline, which exceeds that of San Francisco bay. Shasta Lake contains 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) and holds 4,550,000 acre feet (5,610 Gl) of water. Shasta Lake lies behind Shasta Dam, which is the second largest (after Grand Coulee Dam) and second tallest concrete dam (after Hoover Dam) in the United States.

References

National Recreation Areas of the United States
Administered by the
National Park Service
Administered by
other agencies
Allegheny • Angel Peak • Arapaho • Datil Well • Flaming Gorge • Grand Island • Hells Canyon • Land Between The Lakes • Moosalamoo • Mount Baker • Mount Rogers • Oregon Dunes • Orilla Verde • Pine Ridge • Rattlesnake • Sawtooth • Smith River • Spring Mountains • Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks • Valley of Fires • White Mountains • White Rocks • Wild Rivers • Winding Stair Mountain