17 Most Beautiful Rivers In The World

[Glenn MacGrady]

Here's another subjective magazine list, but it's a reasonable effort.

"Paddlers know a thing or two about what the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus was thinking when he famously said, 'No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.'"

"With the words of Heraclitus in mind, some die-hard paddlers will scoff at this article’s premise of picking out a discrete number of the most beautiful rivers in the world for canoeing, kayaking and rafting adventures. But . . . ."

17 Most Beautiful Rivers In The World

There is no shortage of outstanding waterways, so here’s our best shot at a (relatively) short list of the world’s best rivers for paddling.

paddlingmag.com

How many of these 17 have you paddled? I've only paddled one: the Suwannee.

What river(s) would you substitute or add?

 

[Mason]

I've been on the Alsek, Thelon, and Green. You've seen some of my Thelon pix, and I don't have any digital Green (paddled in 2000). The Alsek, though, is truly spectacular!

 

[Nick Pending]

I've been on four of the 17 rivers listed. South Nahanni (twice), the Missouri (twice), the Salmon River (twice), and the Green in Utah (several times). I don't know that I can substitute rivers as I haven't run any of the others listed to compare and can't knock them off because of that. I might add some rivers, but I'd have to think about it. Jarbidge and Bruneau in Idaho and sections of the Owyhee in NV, ID, OR are likely suspects. Lots of others like the Colorado through the Grand Canyon (looking from the bottom up).

 

[PaddlingPitt]

Kathleen and I have paddled the entire South Nahanni River, from the Moose Ponds to Blackstone Landing on the Liard River. Have also paddled the entire Thelon River from Lynx Lake to Baker Lake. Both are spectacular in their own ways, but I think most people would rate the Nahanni as substantially more classically beautiful. Much more than 1 versus 3.

 

[ppine]

Some good rivers, but how can you leave out the Rogue River, The Grande Rhonde River, the Colorado River in GC, The Trinity River?

 

[PaddlingPitt]

Some good rivers, but how can you leave out the Rogue River, The Grande Rhonde River, the Colorado River in GC, The Trinity River?

I agree. These lists are essentially meaningless. I know people who disliked the Thelon because of its tundra landscape. Unless one has personally paddled all the world’s rivers, it is a stretch, to say the least, to rank their beauty. One also needs to clarify how beauty is determined. What criteria constitute beauty?

 

[Mason]

And then there's the Chattooga, and heck's Canyon on the Snake River. Lots of good rivers, lots of good (and varying) aesthetics.

 

[Mason]

Heck's Canyon???? Give me a break!