Gateway National Recreation abounds with recreational and learning opportunities, ranging from swimming, boating and fishing to team sports, bicycling and nature study. Travel to days of old when you visit the nation’s oldest operating lighthouse, forts that defended America, and sites that trace aviation’s early days. A wildlife refuge, holly forest, ocean dunes and coastal uplands in one, Gateway is a park that you don’t want to miss!
Did you know the Delaware watershed provides water for 10% of the nation's population? The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is home to the Middle Delaware River, which passes for over forty miles between low forested mountains with barely a house in sight. The river then cuts through the mountain ridge to form the famed "Water Gap." Exiting the park, the river runs 200 more miles to Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean at Wilmington, Delaware. Swim, fish, boat, canoe, kayak, raft and tube at the park. The Middle Delaware is one of the cleanest rivers around!
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The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area offers easy access to America’s natural and cultural history—all a stone’s throw from downtown Boston. The area is comprised of 34 islands and peninsulas, many of which are open for public recreation; some of which are very small and best suited for wildlife. Attractions include hiking trails, beaches, civil war-era Fort Warren on Georges Island and Boston Light on Little Brewster Island, one of the oldest lighthouses in the nation.
There is a reason Chickasaw National Recreation Area is known as the “Peaceful Valley of Rippling Waters.” This beautiful park is full of mineral springs, cool water, flora, fauna, and wildlife. Visitors are taken back in time to the days when the early American Indian came to this area to rest, relax at the water’s edge and hunt for their food from the abundant wildlife.
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is comprised of 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau and protects the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries. The park is home to miles of scenic gorges and sandstone bluffs, boasts not only diverse natural and historic features, but also a wide range of outdoor recreational activities.
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Welcome to the relaxing surroundings of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, bursting with forests, mountains, upland prairie, deep canyons, broad valleys, high desert, lake and wetlands. The Canyon was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, following the construction of the Yellowtail Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation. Since its establishment, people have been able to find tranquil settings to better explore recreation, nature, wildlife and history.
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Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area attracts visitors for a variety of reasons, including the spectacular nature, rocky shoals, and great fishing spots. The 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River are available for raft, canoe, kayak, motor boat and other small boat use year round. Come and enjoy this watery playground any time of the year!
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Curecanti National Recreation Area encompasses three reservoirs, which form the heart of the park. Colorado's largest body of water, Blue Mesa Reservoir, is the largest Kokanee Salmon fishery in the U.S. Morrow Point Reservoir is the beginning of the Black Canyon, and below, East Portal is the site of the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel, a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Panoramic mesas, fjord-like reservoirs, and deep, steep and narrow canyons abound.
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The International Amistad Reservoir was formed on the Rio Grande along the border of the US and Mexico. Amistad National Recreation Area encompasses the United States portion of the reservoir, which is bursting with exceptional water-based activities such as boating and fishing. The reservoir is surrounded by a landscape saturated with prehistoric rock art, a vibrant border culture and diverse plant and animal life.
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Located on the border between Nebraska and South Dakota, the Missouri National Recreational River has an unparalleled history. Experience this ever-changing recreational waterway that American Indians, fur trappers, Lewis and Clark, and many others plied more than two centuries ago. The national scenic river protects the only two stretches of river between Montana and the mouth of the Missouri that remain undimmed. The Missouri offers scenic views, wildlife observation and exceptional recreational opportunity.