Lake Chelan National Recreation Area

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is a national recreation area located about 35 miles (56 km) south of the Canada–US border in Chelan County, Washington. It encompasses an area of 61,958 acres (25,074 ha) including the northern end of Lake Chelan and the surrounding area of the Stehekin Valley and the Stehekin River. The area is managed by the U.S. National Park Service as part of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Map showing the location of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
Map showing the location of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
LocationChelan County, Washington, United States
Nearest cityChelan, Washington
Coordinates48°19′19″N 120°40′42″W / 48.32194°N 120.67833°W / 48.32194; -120.67833
Area61,958 acres (250.74 km2)[1]
EstablishedOctober 2, 1968
Visitors38,207 (in 2022)[2]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsiteLake Chelan National Recreation Area
Lake Chelan

Lake Chelan NRA is adjacent to the North Cascades National Park South Unit. There are no roads that lead into Lake Chelan NRA. The recreation area and Stehekin, a small town in the park with fewer than 100 permanent residents, are accessible only by floatplane or passenger ferry from the south end of Lake Chelan near the town of Chelan, Washington. The area can also be accessed by hiking trails through the Cascade Range during the summer months. During the summer, an off-road bus service operated by the NPS carries weary hikers to the town from the Pacific Crest Trail.

Visitors to Lake Chelan NRA can get general information about the area at the Golden West Visitor Center located near the ferry landing. The Buckner Homestead Historic District, Purple Point-Stehekin Ranger Station House, and the one-room Stehekin School are in the Lake Chelan NRA. They are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-12-14. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
  2. ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
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