Peter McBride

Native 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 on assignment to over 75 countries for the National Geographic Society, Smithsonian, Outside, Esquire, Microsoft, The Nature Conservancy, and many more.

After a decade documenting remote expeditions from Everest to Antarctica as a photojournalist, McBride became frustrated with the short lifespan of magazine stories and 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, The Colorado River, Flowing Through Conflict, 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 Geographic Society named McBride a “Freshwater Hero.” Others, have called him the “Lorax of Rivers.”

His latest project, replaced rafting with walking—a lot of walking. Over the course of a year, McBride hiked the entire length of Grand Canyon National Park—over 750 miles without a trail. Moving on foot between the river and rim “was a remarkable blister builder that taught humility” but its main purpose highlighted the challenges our national parks face as increased development pressures are poised to change the Canyon’s iconic landscape.  After completing the journey, he and his hiking companion, author Kevin Fedarko, were listed by National Geographic as “Adventurers of the Year.”

He has used his 20-year journey documenting stories around the world to inspire audiences from school kids to corporations and auditoriums with 3,000 people about risk and challenge, conservation, water scarcity and innovation and all infused with a sense of adventure and humor.

When not on assignment, you can find McBride exploring the Rocky Mountains, practicing mandolin on his back porch in Colorado…or dancing.