| Ross Lake National Recreation Area | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1] | |
 Ross Lake from Desolation Peak in 2017 | |
   | |
| Location | Whatcom County and Skagit County, Washington, United States |
| Nearest city | Newhalem, Washington |
| Coordinates | 48°40′23″N 121°14′43″W / 48.67306°N 121.24528°W |
| Area | 117,575 acres (475.81 km2)[2] |
| Established | October 2, 1968 |
| Visitors | 998,019 (in 2022)[3] |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | North Cascades National Park |
Ross Lake National Recreation Area is a US national recreation area in north central Washington just south of the Canada–US border. It is the most accessible part of the North Cascades National Park Complex which also includes North Cascades National Park and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Ross Lake NRA follows the Skagit River corridor from the Canada–US border to the western foothills of the Cascades. The NRA contains a portion of scenic Washington State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, and includes three reservoirs: 12,000-acre (4,900 ha) Ross Lake, 910-acre (370 ha) Diablo Lake, and 210-acre (85 ha) Gorge Lake. These reservoirs make up the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project operated by Seattle City Light. Nestled in the "American Alps" the Ross Lake NRA bisects the north and south units of North Cascades National Park.
- ^ "Protected Planet | Ross Lake". Protected Planet. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
- ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-12-14. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
- ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved 2023-07-23.