Rivers designated under Section 3(a) of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, and most designated under Section 2(a)(ii), are classified in one of three categories depending on the extent of development and accessibility along each section. Designated river segments are classified and administered under one of the following, as defined in Section 2(b) of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act:
Wild River Areas: Those rivers, or sections of rivers, that are free of impoundments and generally inaccessible except by trail, with watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive and waters unpolluted. These represent vestiges of primitive America.
Scenic River Areas: Those rivers, or sections of rivers, that are free of impoundments with shorelines or watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads.
Note: These segments are usually more developed than wild and less developed than recreational. This classification may or may not include scenery as an outstandingly remarkable value.
Recreational River Areas: Those rivers or sections of rivers that are readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have some development along their shoreline and that may have undergone some impoundment or diversion in the past.
Note: This classification, however, does not imply that recreation is an outstandingly remarkable value or that the segment must be managed or developed for recreational activities.