Wild and Scenic Rivers

Leading the charge to protect the nation's last, best rivers

Merced River, CA, Yosemite | © DJ Schulte

Just as we have National Park and Wilderness designations to protect the nation’s most special lands, we have Wild and Scenic River designations to protect our highest quality rivers.

October 2, 2011, marked the 43rd anniversary of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, one of the strongest tools available to protect outstanding, free-flowing rivers – rivers like the Salmon in Idaho, the Kern in California, the Concord in Massachusetts, and the Chattooga in South Carolina. Today, thanks to American Rivers and our partners across the country, the Wild and Scenic Rivers System includes more than 12,000 miles of a growing list of more than 252 rivers in 39 states.

Find out what it means to be a Wild and Scenic River.