A National Scenic Area in the United States is a federally designated area of outstanding natural and scenic value that receives a level of protection that is less stringent than wilderness designation. Scenic areas are typically occupied or used in some manner by people and either cannot be considered for wilderness designation, or are seen as suitable for a wider range of uses than those permitted under wilderness designation.[1]
The first National Scenic Area in the United States was Mono Basin National Scenic Area in 1984,[2] followed by the much larger and more ambitious Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in 1986. The Columbia River Gorge was in a region of outstanding natural beauty that was already heavily used by people. The designation of the Columbia Gorge was controversial, as it imposed a significant amount of federal control on public and private lands that had previously not been significantly regulated.[3] Subsequent scenic area designations have been significantly less far-reaching, typically involving existing federal lands.
| Name | Image | Agency | Location | Date established | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Hills | BLM | California 36.36°N -118.05°W | The Alabama Hills are a range of hills and rock formations near the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley, just west of Lone Pine, California. The site is home to dozens of natural arches. | ||
| Bear Creek | USFS | Virginia 36.54°N -81.24°W | Protects the headwaters of Bear Creek in the valley between the convergent ridges of Walker Mountain (to the north) and Brushy Mountain (to the south). | ||
| Beech Creek | USFS | Oklahoma 34.35°N -94.31°W | |||
| Columbia River Gorge | USFS | Oregon and Washington 45.42°N -121.47°W | The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon that stretches for over 80miles as the Columbia River winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. | ||
| Coosa Bald | USFS | Georgia 34.46°N -83.58°W | |||
| Indian Nations | USFS | Oklahoma 34.46°N -94.42°W | The wildlife and scenic area consists of 41051acres, comprising the Winding Stair Mountains, Cedar Lake, several campgrounds, and many hiking trails. Talimena Scenic Drive winds through the southern portion of the wildlife and scenic area. | ||
| Mono Basin | USFS | California 37.57°N -119.03°W | Mono Basin is an endorheic drainage basin located east of Yosemite National Park in California and Nevada. Notable features in the basin include Mono Lake and the Mono-Inyo Craters. | ||
| Mount Pleasant | USFS | Virginia 37.45°N -79.1°W | |||
| Saint Helena Island | USFS | Michigan 45.51°N -84.52°W | St. Helena Island is an uninhabited 240acres island in the Lake Michigan approach to the Straits of Mackinac. A small shallow embayment on the island's northern shore provided shelter for both Native Americans and voyageurs who sought shelter from fierce southerly storms. By contrast, the south of the island features a watery shoal at its southernmost point, a navigational hazard which inspired the construction of the St. Helena Island Light in 1873. | ||
| Seng Mountain | USFS | Virginia 36.43°N -81.35°W | The scenic area includes Rowland Creek Falls and all portions of the Iron Mountain system within the upper drainage of the South Fork of the Holston River. | ||
Several proposals have been advanced for additional National Scenic Areas: