River Wild: Running the Selway
Visitors to this National Geographic site follow a group of rafters down the Selway river to learn the ins and outs of river rafting.
Called the wildest river in the lower 48 states, the Selway courses for 90 miles through the pine-covered mountains of central Idaho. Visitors to National Geographic Online navigate through an illustrated “virtual journal” as they choose their boat, learn about their gear, and find out the best—or driest—seats for the ride down the river. Learn how to read the anatomy of a rapid, listen to bird calls, and watch for wildlife, then plan a real white-water adventure with an interactive river finder. The River Wild called on the illustration talents of Chuck Carter, 3-D artist for Myst, to create a virtual river-rafting experience for Web surfers. Designed around the metaphor of a personal journal, the site balances random content accessibility with a linear narrative to combine the storytelling and resource components of the site.