Wild River Life Column Vol IV: Our 50 Rivers

By Susan Elliott

“The only difficult part of going on a giant paddling road trip is deciding where to go…”

When a planned day of kayaking on Fossil Creek turned into a monsoon day and their paddling partners had to travel back home, Susan and Adam waited out the storm to be able to play on the creek the next day with snorkel gear and an inner tube.

The classics, on our list at least, seem never ending. Then there are the lesser-known slivers of paradise that you’ve heard about. Or the most iconic wilderness trips, or urban floats. But have you ever taken the time to write out a list?

Adam rides the tongue through Souse Hole on the Rio Grande’s Racecourse section, a Recreational designated stretch and one of the first eight rivers to enter the Wild and Scenic system in 1968.

We finally did and we chose to put a conservation spin on our choices. They would all be Wild & Scenic, and there would be 50 of them. We are even publishing a guidebook this year called “Paddle America: Discover and Explore Our 50 Greatest Wild and Scenic Rivers.” Something exciting happened when we set this goal and wrapped a theme around it. We could connect each river to the next, no matter how drastically different their characters, by the simply idea that we hold the protection of these rivers to the highest standard.

Deep in Iron Point Canyon, Montgomery Rapid provides a fun challenge on the Owyhee River.

Your turn. No better time, right? Go ahead and do it right now; pick 50 new rivers to paddle. Maybe in the next year, maybe in the next decade, maybe just before you physically can’t pick up a paddle anymore. Have you done it? Ok, why those 50? What makes those rivers special?

Not sure which rivers to pick? I suggest finding a theme for your guide. Pick rivers that matter, rivers that are threatened places, rivers that have been protected. Make your visit about more than just the whitewater, because rivers tell amazing stories if you take the time to learn them. Now all you have to do is load your boat and begin the journey.

Our 50 River List:

1. Lower Deschutes, Oregon

2. Clackamas, Oregon

3. White Salmon, Oregon

4. Main Smith River, California

5. Middle Fork Feather, California

6. Illinois River, Oregon

7. Quartsville Creek, Oregon

8. North Umpqua, Oregon

9. Verde River, Arizona

10. Fossil Creek, Arizona

11. Sol Duc (proposed: Wild Olympics), Washington

12. Queets River (proposed: Wild Olympics), Washington

13. Trinity River, California

14. North Fork of the Smith River, California

15. Sandy, Oregon

16. Crooked, Oregon

17. Jarbidge, Idaho

18. Bruneau, Idaho

19. Owyhee, Oregon

20. Chetco River, Oregon

21. Elk River, Oregon

22. American River, California

23. Merced River, California

24. Tuolumne River, California

25. Virgin River, Utah

26. Cache la Poudre River, Colorado

27. Rio Grande, New Mexico

28. Granite Creek, Wyoming

29. Hoback River, Wyoming

30. Middle Fork Flathead River, Montana

31. Beartrap Canyon of the Madison (proposed), Montana

32. North Fork Blackfoot (proposed), Montana

33. Main Salmon River, Idaho

34. Middle Fork Salmon River, Idaho

35. Niobrara River, Nebraska

36. Wolf River, Wisconsin

37. St Croix River, Minnesota/Wisconsin

38. Metolius River, Oregon

39. Skagit River, Washington

41. McKenzie River, Oregon

42. Wilson River, North Carolina

43. Big Laurel Creek (proposed), North Carolina

44. Nolichucky River (proposed), North Carolina

45. Lochsa River, Idaho

46. Selway River, Idaho

47. Grande Ronde River, Oregon

48. Middle Fork Snoqualmie River, Washington?

49. Chattooga River, Georgia/South Carolina?

50. ?, ?

Now that we only have 3 more rivers to visit, we realize that 50 is not enough. 50 is just a start. We couldn’t make it back to the Northeast, for example. And don’t even get me started on the territory we missed by not getting up to Alaska. In fact, grab a copy of our book and you’ll find a slightly different set of 50 rivers. With a broader geographic representation, the few rivers in the book that we didn’t visit will be definitely be on ours, and maybe your next list!

Susan paddles into an eddy on her backyard Wild and Scenic River, the White Salmon River.