Pete McBride's New Book, 'The Colorado River: Chasing Water'
Photos: Pete McBride
Pete McBride, a renowned photographer and filmmaker, has long been celebrated for his ability to capture the raw beauty and critical importance of the world’s waterways. His latest book, "Chasing Water: A Guide for Moving from Scarcity to Sustainability," is a compelling blend of stunning photography, personal narrative, and urgent environmental commentary. Recently released, this amazing book serves as a beautiful visual representation of our wonderful public waters but also shows our need to take action.
For two decades, McBride has documented the Colorado River, from source to sea with packraft in water and camera in hand. He witnessed the reality of the water crisis at hand on the Colorado River and found beauty and resilience in the photos and essays made on his journeys.
Watch the Trailer and Get a Glimpse of the Book
Grab Your Copy
Looking to grab a copy for yourself. Check out his book and website here.
A few photos from the book and beyond.
The following photos are a few from the book - we didnt want to share too many, there are so many amazing visuals in the book including packrafting and beyond, but Pete also shared additional photos that he's captured over the years.
![](https://images.prismic.io/alpackaraft/ZmozfZm069VX1snR_AlpackaRaft_PeteMcBride_LenNecifer_ColoradoRiver.jpeg?auto=format,compress?auto=compress,format)
![](https://images.prismic.io/alpackaraft/ZmozWZm069VX1snM_AlpackaRaft_PeteMcBride_EscalanteRiver.jpeg?auto=format,compress?auto=compress,format)
Additional Photos (not included in the book)
![](https://images.prismic.io/alpackaraft/ZmozWJm069VX1snL_AlpackaRaft_PeteMcBride_RioGrande_Texas190206_830-Enhanced-NR.jpeg?auto=format,compress?auto=compress,format)
![](https://images.prismic.io/alpackaraft/ZmozcZm069VX1snP_AlpackaRaft_PeteMcBride_ColoradoRiver_LowFlow.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C13%2C960%2C1125&w=1280&h=1500)
![](https://images.prismic.io/alpackaraft/ZmozdJm069VX1snQ_AlpackaRaft_PeteMcBride_ColoradoRiver_2.jpeg?auto=format,compress?auto=compress,format)
Looking for more? Grab your copy of Chasing Water here.
About Pete McBride (Bio)
"Coloradan, Pete McBride, has spent two decades studying the world with a camera. A self-taught photographer, filmmaker, writer, and public speaker, he has traveled in assignment to over 75 countries for the National Geographic Society, Smithsonian google, The Nature Conservancy and spokent on stages for TEDx, The World Economic Forum, USAID, Nat Geo Live and more.
After a decade documenting remote expeditions from Everest to Antarctica, McBride decided to focus his cameras closer to home on a subject closer to his heart—his backyard river, the Colorado. Four years and 1500 river-miles later, McBride produced an acclaimed book, three award-winning documentaries and co-hosted a PBS TV program. Other watersheds soon called, including a source-to-sea look at India's sacred Ganges River. Upon completing the journey, The National Geoghraphic Society named McBride a "Freshwater Hero."
In 2016, McBride hiked the entire length of Grand Canyon National Park—over 750 mioles without a trail—to highlight development challenges facing this iconic landscape. After completing this journey, National Geographic named him and his hiking companion, writer Kevin Fedarko, "Adventurers of the Year." McBride has since released a Rizzoli book, Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim, that won a National Outdoor Book Award and a feature-length documentary, Into the Grand Canyon, for National Geographic Channel, which was nominated for an Emmy in 2020.
In 2021, McBride focused on the power and fragility of natural sounds and quietude. Smithsonian and The Week magazines, named his book, Seeing Silence, one of the top photo books of 2021. Seeing Silence also won an Outdoor Book Award. His latest book, The Colorado River: Chasing Water (Rizzoli 2024), celebrates on of America's most iconic rivers and warns against overuse and climate change.
McBride holds a BA from Dartmouth College, was a Knight Journalism Fellow at Sanford and resides in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado." (Pete McBride, PeteMcBride.com)
For more information about Pete and other works he has, check out his website at petemcbride.com.