Best river trips from National Geographic Adventure
By APMonday, August 10, 2009
River trips from National Geographic Adventure
WASHINGTON —They’re not the country’s biggest rivers, or the best-known. But National Geographic Adventure is highlighting six wild and scenic rivers in the U.S. ideal for rafting trips.
The magazine’s August-September issue lists the rivers as:
-The Rogue River in Oregon, with rapids ranging from Class II to Class V and outfitters offering trips from three to six days.
—The Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idah, described as a “grail for experienced wilderness paddlers” that drops 7,000 feet from its headwaters through elk and bighorn sheep country.
—New Mexico’s Rio Chama, a tributary of the Rio Grande with red-rock canyone walls and Class I and II rapids that make it ideal for young children and beginning paddlers.
—California’s Upper Kern River, which has a sequence of five Class V rapids that only experienced riders can handle.
—The Chattooga River in Georgia and South Carolina, offering a steep 75 foot drop over a quarter of a mile.
—The Wolf River in Wisconsin, which includes a dozen Class II and III rapids on a 28-mile segment on the Menominee Indian Reservation, and a plunge over Smokey Falls, a Class III cascade with an 8-foot drop.
