Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area

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Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
Location Shasta County & Trinity County, California, USA
Nearest city Redding, California
Area 203,587 acres (823.9 km²)
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 (823.89 km²) 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.

[edit] Shasta-Trinity Units

There are only 18 National Recreation Area's 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 (995.88 km²) that make up the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity Unit, 203,587 acres (823.89 km²) 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 endless 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 (69 km²) and holds 2,500,000 acre feet (3,080,000,000 m³) of water. Trinity Lake 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 (120 km²) and holds 4,550,000 acre feet (5,610,000,000 m³) 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.

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