USA National Wild & Scenic Rivers System List

▲ Get the poster

start exploring ▼

The National Wild & Scenic Rivers System was started in 1968. Similar to Wildernesses, these free-flowing rivers are unobstructed and undeveloped.

Name	State	Agency	Est.
Alagnak River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Alatna River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Allagash Wilderness Waterway	Maine	State	1970
Allegheny River	Pennsylvania	USFS	1992
Amargosa River	California	BLM	2009
American River (Lower)	California	State	1981
American River, North Fork	California	BLM, USFS	1978
Andreafsky River	Alaska	FWS	1980
Aniakchak River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Au Sable River	Michigan	USFS	1984
Battle Creek	Idaho	BLM	2009
Bautista Creek	California	USFS	2009
Bear Creek	Michigan	USFS	1992
Beaver Creek	Alaska	BLM, FWS	1980
Big and Little Darby Creeks	Ohio	State	1994
Big Jacks Creek	Idaho	BLM	2009
Big Marsh Creek	Oregon	USFS	1988
Big Piney Creek	Arkansas	USFS	1992
Big Sur River	California	USFS	1992
Birch Creek	Alaska	BLM	1980
Black Butte	California	USFS	2006
Black Creek	Mississippi	USFS	1986
Black River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Bluestone River	West Virginia	NPS	1988
Bruneau River	Idaho	BLM	2009
Bruneau River, West Fork	Idaho	BLM	2009
Buffalo River	Arkansas	USFS	1992
Cache la Poudre River	Colorado	NPS, USFS	1986
Carp River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Charley River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Chattooga River	GA, NC, SC	USFS	1974
Chetco River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Chilikadrotna River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Clackamas River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Clackamas River, South Fork	Oregon	USFS	2009
Clarion River	Pennsylvania	USFS	1996
Clearwater River, Middle Fork	Idaho	USFS	1968
Collawash River	Oregon	USFS	2009
Cossatot River	Arkansas	ACoE, State, USFS	1992
Cottonwood Creek (CA)	California	BLM, USFS	2009
Cottonwood Creek (ID)	Idaho	BLM	2009
Crescent Creek	Oregon	USFS	1988
Crooked River	Oregon	BLM	1988
Crooked River, North Fork	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1988
Deep Creek	Idaho	BLM	2009
Delaware River	NJ, NY, PA	NPS	1978
Delta River	Alaska	BLM	1980
Deschutes River	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1988
Dickshooter Creek	Idaho	BLM	2009
Donner und Blitzen River	Oregon	BLM	1988
Duncan Creek	Idaho	BLM	2009
Eagle Creek	Oregon	USFS	1988
Eagle Creek	Oregon	USFS	2009
East Rosebud Creek	Montana	USFS	2018
Eel River	California	BLM, IR, State, USFS	1981
Eightmile River	Connecticut	Local, NPS	2008
Eleven Point River	Missouri	USFS	1968
Elk River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Elkhorn Creek	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1996
Farmington River, West Branch	Connecticut	Local, NPS, State	1994
Feather River	California	USFS	1968
Fifteenmile Creek	Oregon	USFS	2009
Fish Creek	Oregon	USFS	2009
Flathead River	Montana	NPS, USFS	1976
Fortymile River	Alaska	BLM	1980
Fossil Creek	Arizona	USFS	2009
Fuller Mill Creek	California	USFS	2009
Grande Ronde River	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1988
Great Egg Harbor River	New Jersey	NPS	1992
Gulkana River	Alaska	BLM	1980
Hood River, East Fork	Oregon	USFS	2009
Hood River, Middle Fork	Oregon	USFS	2009
Horsepasture River	North Carolina	USFS	1986
Hurricane Creek	Arkansas	USFS	1992
Illabot Creek	Washington	USFS	2014
Illinois River	Oregon	USFS	1984
Imnaha River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Indian River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Ivishak River	Alaska	FWS	1980
Jarbridge River	Idaho	BLM	2009
Jemez River, East Fork	New Mexico	USFS	1990
John Day River	Oregon	BLM	1988
John Day River, North Fork	Oregon	USFS	1988
John Day River, South Fork	Oregon	BLM	1988
John River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Joseph Creek	Oregon	USFS	1988
Kern River	California	NPS, USFS	1987
Kings River	California	NPS, USFS	1987
Klamath River	California, Oregon	BLM, IR, NPS, State, USFS	1981
Klickitat River	Washington	USFS	1986
Kobuk River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Koyukuk River, North Fork	Alaska	NPS	1980
Lamprey River	New Hampshire	Local, NPS	1996
Little Beaver River	Ohio	State	1975
Little Deschutes River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Little Jacks Creek	Idaho	BLM	2009
Little Miami River	Ohio	State	1973
Little Missouri River	Arkansas	USFS	1992
Lostine River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Loxahatchee River	Florida	State	1985
Lumber River	North Carolina	State	1998
Malheur River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Malheur River, North Fork	Oregon	USFS	1988
Manistee River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Maurice River	New Jersey	NPS	1993
McKenzie River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Merced River	California	BLM, NPS, USFS	1987
Metolius River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Minam River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Missisquoi & Trout Rivers	Vermont	Local, NPS	2014
Missouri River	MT, NE, SD	BLM, NPS	1976
Mulberry River	Arkansas	USFS	1992
Mulchatna River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Musconetcong River	New Jersey	NPS	2006
New River	North Carolina	State	1976
Niobrara River	Nebraska	FWS, NPS	1991
Noatak River	Alaska	NPS	1980
North Powder River	Oregon	USFS	1988
North Sylamore Creek	Arkansas	USFS	1992
North Umpqua River	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1988
Nowitna River	Alaska	FWS	1980
Obed River	Tennessee	NPS	1976
Ontonagon River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Owens River Headwaters	California	USFS	2009
Owyhee River (ID)	Idaho	BLM	2009
Owyhee River (OR)	Oregon	BLM	1984
Owyhee River, North Fork	Idaho	BLM	2009
Owyhee River, North Fork	Oregon	BLM	1988
Owyhee River, South Fork	Idaho	BLM	2009
Paint River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Palm Canyon Creek	California	USFS	2009
Pecos River	New Mexico	USFS	1990
Pere Marquette River	Michigan	USFS	1978
Pine River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Piru Creek	California	USFS	2009
Powder River	Oregon	BLM	1988
Pratt River	Washington	USFS	2014
Presque Isle River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Quartzville Creek	Oregon	BLM	1988
Rapid River	Idaho	USFS	1975
Red Canyon	Idaho	BLM	2009
Red River	Kentucky	USFS	1993
Richland Creek	Arkansas	USFS	1992
Rio Chama	New Mexico	BLM, USFS	1988
Rio de la Mina	Puerto Rico	USFS	2002
Rio Grande	New Mexico, Texas	BLM, USFS	1968
Rio Icacos	Puerto Rico	USFS	2002
Rio Mameyes	Puerto Rico	USFS	2002
River Styx	Oregon	NPS	2014
Roaring River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Roaring River, South Fork	Oregon	USFS	2009
Rogue River	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1968
Rogue River (Upper)	Oregon	USFS	1988
Saint Joe River	Idaho	USFS	1978
Saline Bayou	Louisiana	USFS	1986
Salmon River (AK)	Alaska	NPS	1980
Salmon River (ID)	Idaho	USFS	1980
Salmon River (OR)	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1988
Salmon River, Middle Fork	Idaho	USFS	1968
San Jacinto River, North Fork	California	USFS	2009
Sandy River	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1988
Selawik River	Alaska	FWS	1980
Sespe Creek	California	USFS	1992
Sheenjek River	Alaska	FWS	1980
Sheep Creek	Idaho	BLM	2009
Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River	Alabama	USFS	1988
Sisquoc River	California	USFS	1992
Skagit River	Washington	USFS	1978
Smith River	California	State, USFS	1981
Smith River, North Fork	Oregon	USFS	1988
Snake River	Idaho, Oregon	USFS	1975
Snake River Headwaters	Wyoming	NPS, USFS	2009
Snoqualmie River, Middle Fork	Washington	USFS	2014
Sprague River, North Fork	Oregon	USFS	1988
Squaw Creek	Oregon	USFS	1988
St. Croix River	Minnesota, Wisconsin	NPS	1968
Sturgeon River (Hiawatha NF)	Michigan	USFS	1992
Sturgeon River (Ottawa NF)	Michigan	USFS	1992
Sudbury, Assabet, & Concord Creeks	Massachusetts	Local, NPS, State	1999
Sycan River	Oregon	USFS	1988
Tahquamenon River, East Branch	Michigan	USFS	1992
Taunton River	Massachusetts	NPS	2009
Tinayguk River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Tlikakila River	Alaska	NPS	1980
Trinity River	California	BLM, IR, State, USFS	1981
Tuolumne River	California	BLM, NPS, USFS	1984
Unalakleet River	Alaska	BLM	1980
Verde River	Arizona	USFS	1984
Vermilion River, Middle Fork	Illinois	State	1989
Virgin River	Utah	BLM, NPS	2009
Wallowa River	Oregon	BLM, State	1996
Wekiva River	Florida	NPS, State	2000
Wenaha River	Oregon	USFS	1988
West Little Owyhee River	Oregon	BLM	1988
Westfield River	Massachusetts	State	1993
White Clay Creek	Delaware, Pennsylvania	Local, NPS	2000
White River	Oregon	BLM, USFS	1988
White Salmon River	Washington	USFS	1986
Whitefish River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Wickahoney Creek	Idaho	BLM	2009
Wildcat River	New Hampshire	USFS	1988
Wildhorse and Kiger Creeks	Oregon	BLM	2000
Willamette River, North Fork Middle Fork	Oregon	USFS	1988
Wilson Creek	North Carolina	USFS	2000
Wind River	Alaska	FWS	1980
Wolf River	Wisconsin	NPS	1968
Yellow Dog River	Michigan	USFS	1992
Yellowstone River, Clarks Fork	Wyoming	USFS	1990
Zigzag River	Oregon	USFS	2009

ACoE: Army Corps of Engineers
BLM: Bureau of Land Management
FWS: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
IR: Indian Reservation
NPS: National Park Service
USFS: United States Forest Service