There are 208 national wild and scenic rivers in 40 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, totaling more than 12,700 miles (0.25 percent of the nation’s rivers). And a lot of them are paddleable. Below, we bring you a snapshot of a few to put on your list…because as filmmaker Warren Miller says, if you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do…
Out West
Middle Fork of the Salmon, Idaho
From the put-in to its confluence with the Main Salmon 100 miles away, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River splashes up some of the most remote whitewater in the world. The entire stretch is Wild and Scenic, threading through the 2.7-million-acre Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area—the largest roadless tract in the Lower 48. Throw in side hikes, fly fishing, and, get this, the ability soak in a different natural hot spring almost every night (nine total), and the river serves up something for everyone. Our favorite place to soothe waterlogged bones? Hospital Bar, which bubbles up at 115 degrees into a pool next to the river (yes, you can flyfish from it).
Most trips put in at Boundary Creek and float 96 miles to its junction with the Main, and then another four to the take-out. If it’s early season and snow is blocking the road, or the upper section is too low, fly into an airstrip at Indian Creek at mile 25. Heartier souls in early season put in on Marsh Creek above the Boundary Creek put-in, portaging Dagger Falls (beware downed wood).
Just make sure you have your whitewater stripes. The stretch is riddled with Class III-IV rapids, including Velvet Falls, Pistol Creek and Tappan Falls, culminating with Impassable Canyon, named by Lewis and Clark when they first saw it in the early 1800s. If you’re not sure of your whitewater skills, go with an outfitter (www.idahoriveradventures.com).
Beta
Permits: Required year-round, and hard to get (lottery June 1-Sept. 3; first-come, first-served the rest of the year); www.recreation.gov.
Season: May-September, flows depending; trip length caped at eight days.
Put-in: Boundary Creek off Idaho State Highway 21
Shuttle info: www.rivershuttles.com
Info: www.whitewaterguidebook.com
Note: hotsprings fact check: http://www.hotspringsenthusiast.com/Idaho.asp
Southeast
Chattooga River Section III, Georgia
Forming the northern boundary between Georgia and South Carolina, the Chattooga will forever be linked with the canoes and crazy locals of Burt Reynolds’ Deliverance. But there’s far more to this paddling gem than what Hollywood portrayed.
In 1974 the Chattooga became the first river east of the Mississippi to earn Wild & Scenic status, and it’s still the only one that’s rafted commercially. On its commercial stretches (Sections III and IV), a quarter-mile corridor of land on each side is protected, prohibiting development. Add world-class whitewater and the granite wonderland of the Blue Ridge Mountains and it’s easy to see why 57 miles of it have been protected for 45 years.
The river offers something for every skill level, from mellow Class I to hair-raising Class IV+. The easiest is Section II, a seven-mile Class II stretch from US Highway 28 to Earl’s Ford suitable for open canoes. The action picks up with Section III, a 13-mile Class III section (hint: watch water levels—above 2.5 on the Clayton gage gets pushy) highlighted by Bull Sluice, the section’s only Class IV. Hint: hit it in June when the mountain laurel is in full bloom.
Section IV is spicier, suitable only for those with proper whitewater skills (or go with an outfitter like www.wildwaterrafting.com). It includes numerous Class II-V rapids, including Five Falls, which harbors five Class III-Vs in a quarter-mile. To fully immerse in its wilderness, try an overnight trip—just bring your own banjo for the campfire.
Beta
Permits: NA (self-register at put-in).
Season: Rain-fed, year-round; main season April – September
Put-in: Section II: US Highway 28 to Earl’s Ford; Section III: Woodall Shoals Road (off US Highway 76); Section IV: where US 76 crosses the river (8 miles east of Clayton, Ga., near Long Creek, S.C.)
Shuttle info: www.chattoogaadventures.com. Chattooga Sounds (a campground near the takeout of Section IV) operates a lake shuttle for those who’d rather not paddle across the lake (www.chattoogasounds.com).
Info: www.americanwhitewater.org
Midwest
Buffalo River, Arkansas
Arkansas’s paddling options are outnumbered only by its crawfish. But the Buffalo National River, which became America’s first national river in 1972, is its heart and soul. With its beaches, gravel bars, bluffs, woodlands and 95,000 acres of protected wilderness, the 135-mile-long waterways is one of the best canoeing runs in the country.
A rare river without a dam, the Buffalo cuts through massive limestone bluffs as it flows eastward through the Arkansas Ozarks. Its upper stretches harbor just enough Class I-II (at normal flows) to keep you on your toes, while the middle and lower reaches are mellower. Note: rainfall can change levels overnight, so pay attention to forecasts, camp above the high water mark and pull your boats up at night.
The river is crossed by three highways, but its length ensures solitude. Camp at one of 13 designated campgrounds, from primitive to full hook-up; spend the night on a gravel bar, a favorite local pastime; or stay in a cabin constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. For side hikes, head to the Indian Rockhouse bluff shelter ruins, and 204-foot Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls, the tallest wet-weather waterfall in the Midwest.
Beta
Permits: www.recreation.gov
Season: April-September
Put-in: Upper District: Harrison; Middle District: head 31 miles south on Hwy 65; Lower District: take Hwy 14 south from Yellville
Shuttle info: Bring your own canoe or rent from a variety of liveries.
Info: www.nps.gov
Northwoods
Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Maine
Earning Wild and Scenic status in 1970, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, the first state-administered river in the system, is as full of paddling options as its Northwoods are of bears, blueberries and maple syrup. Enjoyed by the likes of Henry David Thoreau, it serves up 92 miles of lakes, ponds, rivers and streams in as classic a canoe setting as you’ll find (pack the wanigans (wooden storage box), and tumplines (forehead strap)). It even offers the earn-your-dinner fun of portaging 45-foot Allagash and 20-foot Little Allagash Falls.
As well as the river, the route consists of four ponds and eight lakes, including the glaciated, Seboomook Slate shoreline of 3.5-mile-long Allagash Lake. When not ogling moose, eagle and common terns, look for views of Mt. Katahdin.
Trip options abound, including a four-day flatwater trip from Chamberlain Lake north to Churchill Dam; a six-day trip from Churchill Dam to Allagash Village, including lakes, Class II rapids and two mandatory portages; and a combo of the two for the whole 92-mile enchilada (note: plan a minimum of nine days). Campsites are well maintained, with campfire pits, picnic tables and outhouses. Not sure of your skills? Try an outfitter like Allagash Canoe Trips (www.allagashcanoetrips.com), a 65-year-old guide service run by three consecutive generations.
Beta
Permits: Required from the North Maine Woods Association ($6.54 per person per night (resident); $13.08 (non-resident); www.northmainewoods.org
Season: May-September
Put-in: Chamberlain Lake
Shuttle info: www.allagashriver.com
Info: www.maine.gov
Panhandle
Loxahatchee River, Florida
Draining into the Atlantic Ocean through Palm Beach County, the coffee-colored Loxahatchee is Florida’s first Wild and Scenic River (a second, the Wekiva, was added in 2000). Located near Jupiter Sound on Florida’s east coast, the 8.5-mile trail will have you J-stroking through Jurassic Park as it meanders through a primordial swamp filled with centuries-old cypress, ferns, orchids, palms and mangroves. While Velociraptors might not be in store, keep your binos handy for heron, egrets, turtles, deer and more.
Paddle downstream from Riverbend Park to Jonathan Dickinson State Park with a shuttle, or paddle out and back from either of the two. The entire route takes three to seven hours, depending on stops, many of which occur in the four-mile, twisty upper section. One popular spot is Trapper Nelson’s Cabin, named for the “Wild Man of the Loxahatchee,” a fur trapper from the 1930s. Because this section is so serpentine, shorter canoes or kayaks (9- to 14-feet long) are recommended. The upper stretch is relatively easy and suitable for novices, but beware two dams with pullover structures for portaging (scout first if trying to run).
Below, the river widens into a mangrove estuary before becoming tidal near its terminus. Watch out for commercial pontoon boats, which transport tourists upriver to the Wild Man’s cabin. If renting boats from the park concessionaire, look for their landing and swimming area on the left.
Beta
Permits: NA
Season: All year
Put-in: Riverbend or Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Shuttle info: www.canoeoutfittersofflorida.com
Info: www.floridadep.gov
Historical
Missouri River, Montana
Follow in the wake of Lewis and Clark by canoeing this 149-mile section of the Missouri River from Fort Benton to Robinson Bridge. Offering a glimpse of the American West as it was in Lewis’s day, this stretch downstream from Great Falls was designated Wild and Scenic in 1976 and courses through the Missouri Breaks, a rugged series of canyons, plains and badlands within Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument.
Several launch points offer access—including Fort Benton, Loma, Coal Banks Landing, Judith Landing and James Kipp Recreation Area—with trip lengths varying from one day to 10. The most popular, often done in three days, leads from Coal Banks to Judith Landing through the White Cliffs, of which Lewis wrote extensively. Bring his book and read his grammatically intact excerpts along the way: “As we passed on it seemed those seens of visionary inchantment would never have an end”—May 31, 1805.
Hiking options also abound, including LaBarge Rock at mile 56, a dark igneous pillar next to a broken sandstone arch called Eye of the Needle, and the4 arch at Hole in the Wall. Just be careful: The area still has as many rattlesnakes as it did in Lewis’s day.
Extend your trip however long you want down through the rolling, pine- and juniper-covered slopes of the Breaks and sculpted-sandstone Badlands, which were brought to life by painter Karl Bodmer after his journey through the area in 1833.
Beta
Permits: NA
Season: May-September
Put-ins: Fort Benton, Loma, Coal Banks Landing, Judith Landing, James Kipp Recreation Area
Shuttle info: www.adventureboundcanoe.com
Info: www.blm.gov
Fossil Float
John Day, Oregon
Draining a semi-arid watershed in northeastern Oregon before joining the Columbia, at 284 miles the John Day is the third longest, undammed river in the Lower 48. This, as well as its forgiving nature (don’t expect huge whitewater), makes it popular with canoeists.
Winding through remote volcanic canyons with black, basalt gorges and colorful, fossil-filled ash deposits (John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is located nearby), the river is divided into two sections. The upper 47 miles—threading through scattered ranches and remote hillsides—starts at Service Creek and ends at Clarno. From there you can paddle another 69 miles to Cottonwood, just above the Columbia.
More isolated with 1,200-foot basalt canyons, this lower stretch starts out with a volcano-like bang; Just five miles in roars Class III-IV Clarno Rapids, the bane of many a boater (scout from river left). Campsites are varied and numerous, many offering welcome shade from junipers, with wildlife including mule deer, river otters, eagles and hawks. Fun fact: The river was named after a 1810-12 Pacific Fur Co. expedition member who was robbed and stripped naked by Native Americans at the mouth of the river now bearing his name.
Beta
Permits: Available online at www.blm.gov
Season: April-June
Put-in: Upper section: Service Creek; Lower section: Clarno
Shuttle info: www.servicecreek.com
Info: www.blm.gov
Far North
Noatak River, Alaska
Unleash your inner Jack London—and canoe among caribou—on Alaska’s Noatak, the largest undisturbed watershed in North America. Located in Gates of the Arctic National Park, the float also takes you through the migration path of the Western Arctic Caribou herd, which flows like the water under your hull.
Running 400 miles through the glacier-capped peaks of the Brooks Range into Kotzebue Sound, the river offers two main paddling sections: a 45-mile trip from Twelve Mile Slough to Lake Matcharak, and a 90-mile stretch from there to the Cutler River (watch out for Class II+ Jaws, a ledge drop and sharp left turn). Because of the bush flights involved on both ends, most groups use inflatables.
Get ready for wilderness no matter the watercraft. From the put-in near 8,510-foot Mt. Igikpak, the river carves through giant, tundra-clad valleys and arctic bogs inhabited by wolves, Dall sheep, grizzly bears, fox, muskox and wolverine. Bring your binos for peregrine falcons, Lapland longspur and Arctic loon, and your fishing rod for Arctic grayling and char, northern pike and lake trout, all to be grilled under the aurora borealis.
Hint: For 24 hours of daylight, high water and peak caribou viewing, run it in June; for fall colors, blooming Arctic poppies, Northern Lights and ripe blueberries, try late summer. Regardless, prepare for all types of weather—rain, snow, sun and wind—as well as mosquitoes, which is one reason the caribous’ migrate north to give birth.
Beta
Permits: NA
Season: June – September
Put-in: Bush flight from Bettles to Twelve Mile Slough in Gates of the Arctic National Park
Shuttle info: www.flycoyote.com
Info:www.alaska.org
Rafting in Cali
Tuolumne River, California
Designated Wild and Scenic in 1984, the granite-lined Tuolumne originates in Yosemite National Park and flows out of Tuolumne Meadows into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. Below Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, it continues on through an 18-mile canyon harboring some of the best and most continuous whitewater in the state. (If you’re not competent in whitewater, go with an outfitter.)
The stretch teems Class III -IV pool-drop rapids, meaning they’re interspersed with moments of calm to catch your breath. While it can be paddled in a day, overnighters (two or three days) afford time to fish its clear pools and hike its side creeks, including the Clavey, whose Olympic Pool is a great place for a plunge.
The action starts with such rapids as Rock Garden and Nemesis before you reach the Clavey, one of the last free-flowing rivers in the state and home to a rare, pre-glacial population of native coastal rainbow trout. Just below lies Clavey Falls, the biggest rapid on the trip.
From here the river calms, with jumping rocks, swimming pools and easier Class II-III rapids, and broad, sandy beaches for camping. But don’t get lulled; Class IV Grey’s Grindstone, Cabin and Hell’s Kitchen still lurk below. The run ends in Don Pedro reservoir, where, if it’s full, a boat shuttle can tow you the last mile to Ward’s Ferry Bridge. Note: save energy for the steep hike back to your car.
Beta
Permits: Required (free) May 1-Oct. 1; available over the phone or at the Groveland Ranger Station ((209) 962-7825, www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus)
Season: May–September
Put-in: Meral’s Pool/Lumsden Bridge
Shuttle info: www.tuolumnerivershuttles.com
Info: www.rivers.gov
On the Border
Rio Grande, Texas
Instead of saying “river-right” and “river-left” in usual paddling parlance, the Rio Grande will have you uttering “Mexican-side” and “Texas-side.”
Forming the border between the United States and Mexico for 1,250 of its 1,900 miles, the country’s second longest river is also one of its best paddling trips. Nearly 200 miles of it in the Lone Star State (and an additional canyon in New Mexico) is designated Wild and Scenic, 69 of which lie in Big Bend National Park, where the river turns northeast briefly before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville, Texas.
Choose from one or more consecutive sections through a series of desert canyons, each with its own character. Popular Class III-IV stretches to float include 21-mile Colorado Canyon, 19-mile Santa Elena Canyon, and 10-mile Mariscal Canyon. Next come 18.5-mile San Vicente and Hot Springs canyons, and 33-mile Boquillas Canyon. Below lies the 82.5-mile Lower Canyons, whose limestone gorges are little changed from when Comanches and Apaches raided the international border. Combine them all and you get an uninterrupted float of 240 miles.
Popular among rafters, canoeists and kayakers, the region serves up desert floating at its finest, from open Chihuahuan desert to tight, twisty canyons, arroyo side hikes, hot springs and more. You’ll also stroke back in history, visiting the petroglyphs and caves of Maravillas Canyon and ruins of Asa Jones’ candelilla wax camp. Come camp time, the crackle of your campfire will be interrupted only by the howl of coyotes.
Beta
Permits: First-come, first-served, available at Big Bend National Park visitor centers ($12 for overnight use); www.nps.gov
Season: All year (flows peak in late summer/early fall)
Put-in: Numerous, depending on section.
Shuttle info: www.bigbendrivertours.com
Info:www.nps.gov