Jonathan

Waterman

Award-Winning Author and Photographer

Bestselling Writer & Explorer

Travels from: Vail, CO

“Only Jon Waterman, with his decades of Arctic adventuring and his astounding reporter’s eye, could have written such an eloquent, impassioned, and essential ode to the far north.” — Michael Finkel, bestselling author of The Stranger in the Woods and The Art Thief

Jon Waterman is an award-winning author and photographer renowned for his immersive explorations of wilderness and environmental issues. With a prolific body of work encompassing 17 books and five films, including ESPN’s Emmy-winning “Surviving Denali” and National Geographic’s bestselling Atlas of the National Parks, Waterman has earned acclaim for his deep connection to nature and his ability to inspire readers and his lecture audiences to protect the planet’s natural wonders. He is a sought-after public speaker.

His forthcoming work, Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis (October 2024), is a book drawn from some of his life’s most profound journeys. In 2026, the National Geographic will release Waterman’s Atlas of Historic America. His wide-ranging expeditions include a first winter ascent of Denali’s Cassin Ridge, kayaking North America’s Northwest Passage, dogsledding up Canada’s Mount Logan, sailing to Hawaii, and boating the Colorado River from source to sea.

He has worked as a national park ranger, director of a small press, an editor, a naturalist, and a wilderness guide. Among his many publications, Jon’s work has often appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Men’s Journal, Adventure, Climbing, and Sailing World. His books include In the Shadow of Denali, Kayaking the Vermilion Sea, and Running Dry; he is a frequent grantee of the National Geographic Society. By taking risks and tackling difficult issues, his work transcends traditional outdoor yarns and has garnered numerous awards, including a Literary Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts, three Best Adventure Book Awards from the Banff Book Festival, the American Alpine Club Literary Award, a National Park Service Special Achievement Award, and the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award.

Jonathan's Featured Titles

Into the Thaw

Forty years ago, Jon Waterman took his first journey to Alaska’s Noatak River and was astonished by the abundant wildlife, the strange landscape, and its otherworldly light, and he continued on dozens of explorations throughout the remote North. Over time he began to notice how climate change had taken a toll—the Arctic is now warming nearly 4 times faster than the rest of the world—and he is on a mission to publicize how this beautiful vast frontier is beset by a climate crisis and the actions we can all take to alleviate carbon emissions.

Glory of the National Parks

Based on his time as a national park ranger, and his many explorations in the parks, Jon takes his audiences on a tour through many of the nation’s 63 National Parks. With stunning imagery and video, recounting his own adventures, he also presents the challenges many national parks now confront—such as overcrowding, invasive species and climate change—and ultimately posits suggestions as to their salvation.

Journey Down the Colorado

Jon boated all 1,450 miles of the Colorado River from its Rocky Mountain source to where it runs dry before reaching the Sea of Cortez. He took the journey to fully understand the water crises that affect 30 million people dependent on that water. Among the problems — water agreements that dole out more water than exists in the Colorado River. In this lecture, he provides an intimate glimpse of the river’s shrinking pains as it is diverted to farmlands and cities. Based on the award-winning book, published by the National Geographic Society, Running Dry: A Journey From Source to Sea Down the Colorado River.

Wild America

With anecdotes from his Atlas of Wild America (National Geographic Books, November 2023), Jon shares a lifetime’s worth of experiences—sea kayaking, canoeing, pack rafting, skiing, dogsledding and backpacking— in wild places across the continent. Along the way, video camera in hand, he asks friends and strangers (and his audiences) to define what wilderness is and why it’s important.

Surviving Denali!

Considered the world’s authority on North America’s highest mountain, Jon’s “Surviving Denali!” lecture revolves around his time as a guide and rescue ranger on Denali, North America’s highest mountain (based on his four books on the subject). He shares how mountaineering began on Denali in 1910, when four miners carried a 25-pound, 14-foot flagpole up the roof of the continent, onto modern mountaineering and his many escapades in subzero cold, or during rescues that ultimately show how climbers survive Denali.

“As Chairman, we want to thank you so much for speaking at our Libraries of Montrose County Foundation event. The turnout was excellent. We never attract that size of audience [400 people] for lectures—until yours. That speaks to your reputation. Your lecture was superb. The combination of adventure travel with a purpose is powerful. Your photographs and anecdotes draw the audience in. The message of the necessity of vigilance in protecting our precious wild places is compelling. Your Q & A session was the icing on the cake. It made this fresh and personal.” — Douglas H. Kiesewetter, 2024

“A must read for all who want to revive and protect the Colorado River, not only for its unmatched natural beauty but also for its role as a vital natural resource.” — Running Dry Review, Silvia A. Earle, National Geographic Explorer

“A timeless narrative with a timely message and I hope it will educate the public and elected officials about the importance of preserving this diverse and magical land.” — Where Mountains Are Nameless Review, Dr. Jane Goodall

“Jon Waterman’s gripping firsthand account of the impact of development and climate change on North America’s Arctic landscape… powerful…. a sinuous, passionate memoir.” — Into the Thaw, Foreword review

“[A] gorgeous guide from former ranger Waterman.” — Atlas of the National Parks, Library Journal starred review

“The environmental exposes, such as the proliferation of multi-story cruise ships in Glacier Bay, add yet another layer of meaning to this gorgeous and environmentally astute book.” — Northern Exposures, Booklist starred review

Jon’s Field Notebook Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

2023 International Cartography and Geographic Society Best Atlas of the Year: Atlas of Wild America
2019 International Cartography and Geographic Society Best Atlas of the Year: Atlas of the National Parks (also a best seller)
Literary Fellowship Winner from the National Endowment of the Arts
Three-Time Winner of the Best Adventure Book Awards from the Banff Book Festival
American Alpine Club Literary Award Winner
National Park Service Achievement Award Winner
Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award Winner

Media clips

The New York Times | Alaska’s Slaughter of Bears Must Stop

The New York Times | Our National Parks Are in Trouble

Forbes | National Geographic’s Most Breathtaking Places In Wild America To Love

Outside | A Former National Park Ranger Reveals His Favorite Wild Places in the U.S.

National Geographic | The American Nile

Muck Rack | Articles by Jon Waterman

BYU Radio | An Adventure Guide for America’s National Parks

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

Waterman

Into the Thaw

Glory of the National Parks

Journey Down the Colorado

Wild America

Surviving Denali!

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Media clips

Media Kit

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