You are here
We know about the erosive power of rivers, the torrents that cascade from a lip into basaltic amphitheaters, mountains incised with the long, sinuous scar of water pulled earthward and into the ocean.
For thousands of years, rivers have carved a place in the human imagination, as well. Rivers, not mountains or oceans, cut through the underworld of Hades and had to be crossed by the dead on their way to the afterlife. The Mississippi is Mark Twain’s symbol of freedom from oppression and a microcosm of an equal society. When Caesar crossed the Rubicon, he not only wrested power over an empire, he conquered nature as well. Christopher McCandless was stranded behind the spring snowmelt of the swollen Teklanika River when he died in Alaska. Rivers are symbols of fluidity, embodying life and death, boundaries and connections. They are mercurial and kinetic, always in motion.
As recreationists, it’s that kinesis we are interested in. The rapids of the Arkansas River are some of the finest in the U.S., as are those that tumble unobstructed down the Klamath River in northern California. Raft the Owyhee in southern Oregon, and you will find some of the most remote, secluded waters in the West. For a truly wild adventure, float the Yukon River in Alaska. And while the East Coast Appalachians do not rival the Mountain West for scale and size, their rivers surely do, places like the Hudson River Gorge in the Adirondacks and the many rivers of West Virginia as beautiful and thrilling as anything west of the Mississippi.
Whether you float them or rest easy on their banks—in a hot spring, perhaps—this is the week to celebrate rivers during our #52WeekAdventureChallenge. Go forth and find your flow.
National Parks, Scenic Areas, and Hikes
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado
- Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon and Washington
- Rogue Gorge, the Rogue River, Oregon
Washington Floats
Oregon Floats
- Snake River, Hells Canyon Dam to Pittsburg Landing
- Owyhee River, Rome to Birch Creek
- McKenzie River, Ollie to Paradise
- Tamolitch Falls
- Crooked River, Lone Pine Bridge to Crooked River Ranch
- Salmon River Canyon
Idaho Floats
- Middle Fork of the Salmon River
- Upper Lion Creek
- Selway River, Paradise to Race Creek
Colorado Floats
- Grand Canyon of the Colorado, Lee’s Ferry to Diamond Creek
Utah Floats
- Green River, Ruby Ranch to Mineral Bottom
New Hampshire Floats
Vermont Floats
- Green River, Garfield Road to Route 15
- Middlebury Gorge
North Carolina Floats
Featured Adventures
- Log in or register to post comments
Sign In and share them.