River Surfing is just that, surfing on the river. Surfers find a standing wave and drop in facing the board upstream using the gravity of the wave slope and the flow of the river to carve out turns. Surf-able waves however are quite rare. They can be found on just about any river or stream but it takes just the right combination of river bottom shape, water flow and depth to create a ride-able standing wave. Lunch counter near Jackson, Wyoming is probably the most famous naturally occurring surf-able wave in the U.S. but it is a rare gem indeed. Luckily science has provided us way to shape the river as we see fit. Over the past few years Whitewater parks are popping up in cities across the nation engineering epic surf breaks thousands of miles from the nearest ocean. It is an exciting time for the geographically challenged inlander who still feels the call of the surf. Check out some of these manmade breaks throughout the nation:

Reno, Nevada: Truckee Whitewater Park, Truckee River

Pueblo, Colorado

Boise, Idaho: Boise River Whitewater Park

Cascade, Idaho: Kelly’s Whitewater Park

Missoula, Montana: Brennan’s Wave, Clark Fork River

Bend, Oregon: Deschutes River Park (Coming Soon!)