Searching for the Real River Why

Photo: NOAA’s National Ocean Service/Flickr

If you’ve ever read The River Why by David James Duncan, you’re aware of how alluring the river described in the book can be. That river inspired a real-life odyssey by Andy Cochrane to search for the river that inspired the one in Duncan’s novel. Cochrane wrote about the adventure over on Thrillist, and it’s a fantastic read.

“The river is never named, but is described in colorful detail,” Cochrane writes. “And while the story is fictional, rumor has it that Duncan based his river on a real river in the Oregon Coast Range. The location of that river has remained a secret for 40 years. So Jenny and I set out to see if we could find it, committing the spring to fishing along this 200-mile stretch of mountains.”

What Cochrane discovers – aside from the river he believes inspired the one in Duncan’s book – is of far more importance than any waterway. You’ll have to read his story to find out what that is.