National Scenic Area (United States)

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.

The first National Scenic Area in the United States was Mono Basin National Scenic Area in 1984, 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. Subsequent scenic area designations have been significantly less far-reaching, typically involving existing federal lands.

Proposed National Scenic Areas
Several proposals have been advanced for additional National Scenic Areas:
 * Big Sur Coast National Scenic Area, California, 1980
 * Big Schloss National Scenic Area, Virginia and West Virginia, 2009
 * Kelley Mountain National Scenic Area, Virginia, 2009
 * Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area, Virginia, 2009
 * Sedona-Red Rocks National Scenic Area, Arizona, legislation introduced in 2010 failed.
 * Grandfather National Scenic Area, North Carolina, 2011
 * Black Mountain Scenic Area, California, 2019
 * Condor Ridge Scenic Area, California, 2019

Former National Scenic Areas

 * East Mojave National Scenic Area, designated Mojave National Preserve in 1994