Established: October 2^nd, 1968

Area: 117,575 acres

Visitors (2011): 728,353

Ross Lake National Recreation Area follows the Skagit River corridor from the Canada–US border to the western foothills of the Cascades. It contains a portion of scenic Washington State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, and includes three reservoirs: 12,000-acre Ross Lake, 910-acre Diablo Lake, and 210-acre Gorge Lake. These reservoirs make up the Skagit Hydroelectric Project operated by Seattle City Light. Nestled in the “American Alps” the Ross Lake National Recreation Area bisects the north and south units of North Cascades National Park. The Shape of the National Recreation area, was designed to prevent the proposed High ross dam from flooding the national park.