Watching the River Run
A Photographic Journey down the Youghiogheny
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University of Pittsburgh Press
Published:4th Mar '25
Should be back in stock very soon

A Vibrant Photo Essay of the Youghiogheny River
With a sharp eye to all things wild, Palmer also presents an engaging narrative and features opportunities for enjoying and exploring Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania, Swallow Falls State Park in Maryland, and elsewhere along this river’s rapid descent through America’s oldest and most biologically rich range of mountains.
Join celebrated author and photographer Tim Palmer as he takes us down one of America’s most magnificent rivers. From the Youghiogheny’s lofty headwaters to its quiet ending only a dozen miles from Pittsburgh, the river he reveals shines with splendor and beckons to all who walk, bike, paddle, or simply pause to appreciate the natural wonder awaiting those who live nearby or visit from near and far.
A companion to Palmer’s earlier book—Youghiogheny: Appalachian River—this elegant photo essay shows us the remarkable beauty of a river that has become enormously popular. With a sharp eye to all things wild, Palmer also presents an engaging narrative and features opportunities for enjoying and exploring Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania, Swallow Falls State Park in Maryland, and elsewhere along this river’s rapid descent through America’s oldest and most biologically rich range of mountains. Watching the River Run is a book for all who visit and cherish this extraordinary waterway.
Tim Palmer brilliantly captures the Youghiogheny’s riffling and whitewater journey through our scenic Laurel Highlands. He illuminates one of our most beloved rivers and parks, and he shows us how vital they are to communities that increasingly depend on natural qualities that this river brings to all people. Thank you, Tim, for this excellent and needed contribution to the literature and art of Pennsylvania.
-- Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcesKayakers, canoeists, rafters, and others cherish the Youghiogheny, and its story is crucial to understanding one of the most important places in our lives. While the river can sing, it can’t speak our language. But Tim Palmer does, and with this book he will enrich your time on these waters as nothing else can.
-- Ed Gertler, author of Keystone CanoeingLyrical and informative, this glorious account of nature in the mountains of Pennsylvania and Maryland captivates readers with its account of a spectacular river. Tim has written a book that’s essential to understanding the Youghiogheny River, Ohiopyle State Park, and the environment of our entire Appalachian region.
-- Paul Wiegman, retired senior naturalist, Western Pennsylvania ConservISBN: 9780822948414
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
208 pages