Category Update: June 2012
The category will now accept rivers that are designated as scenic in countries other than the United States. Submissions must include a link to an official site that supports the rivers designation.
"...certain selected rivers of the
Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly
remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural
or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that
they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and
enjoyment of present and future generations." (Wild
& Scenic Rivers Act, October 2, 1968)
Designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers
rage and meander for more than 11,000 miles in 38 states and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico. One river can have several segments - sometimes in multiple
states - that are designated as either Wild, Scenic or Recreational, or any
combination of the three. The National Wild and Scenic
Rivers website defines Wild, Scenic or Recreational as follows:
- Wild river areas — Those rivers or
sections of rivers that are free of impoundments and generally inaccessible
except by trail, with watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive and
waters unpolluted. These represent vestiges of primitive America.
- Scenic river areas — Those rivers
or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments, with shorelines or
watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but
accessible in places by roads.
- Recreational river areas — Those
rivers or sections of rivers that are readily accessible by road or
railroad, that may have some development along their shorelines, and that
may have undergone some impoundment or diversion in the past.
The website has two excellent sources of
information to help you locate the designated portions of these Rivers.
One is a great interactive map, located on the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
website. .
(Several individual states also have maps of their Rivers or
sections.) The second resource you should check before logging your
Waymark is a list of Rivers, by state, of all the Rivers or sections of Rivers in the
system. Clicking on the links will provide you with more detailed information about the River or River
section included in the system as well as links to some of the agencies that
administer their portions of the Rivers..
A Waymark in this category must be located
along the portion of the River that has been designated part of the National
Wild and Scenic River system, and fall into one of the following
classifications:
- beginning or end of the river as shown
by a marker, monument, sign or specific feature (bridge, building etc)
as indicated on the NW&SR website
- WILD - commonly known 'wild' locations of
the River that are indicated by marker, monument, sign or specific feature
that you can document by referencing an article, website or other reliable
source. These can include waterfalls, put in-put out spots for
rafting, rapids, viewpoints
- SCENIC - locations along the River that
have scenic value and are marked by a sign, marker or monument. This
can include waterfalls, trailheads, rapids, historical structures,
viewpoints
- RECREATIONAL - locations
along the River set aside for recreational use and are indicated by sign,
marker or monument or are the location of a recreational feature. This
might include picnic areas, campgrounds, fish hatcheries,
trailheads, put in - put out spots for rafting, waysides, day use areas
Please be aware that not all portions of
these Rivers are accessible to the public. Respect private property when
visiting these Rivers and - as always - take coordinates, photographs and memories, but 'Leave
No Trace'.
