Autumn Turquoise River Rapids Salmon Run

Last stop for salmon

Before it joins the Strait of Georgia near Vancouver, the mighty Fraser River flows about 850 miles through the peaks and valleys of British Columbia. Carving gorgeous gorges, washing over waterfalls, and irrigating fertile, foggy farms, the Fraser is a huge factor in BC's rep as perhaps Canada's most photogenic province. Only 60-odd miles from the river's highland headwaters—and almost 800 miles from the ocean—the pictured Rearguard Falls is the farthest point up the Fraser you'll find spawning salmon that migrate from the Pacific. The rapids appear turquoise due to glacial runoff from adjacent mountains including Mount Robson, the Canadian Rockies' highest peak.