Peter McBride

Coloradan Peter McBride has spent over two decades studying the world with a camera. A self-taught photographer, filmmaker, writer, and public speaker, he has traveled to over 75 countries on assignment for various prestigious publications including the National Geographic Society, Smithsonian, and Google, and organizations such as The Nature Conservancy. He has shared his experiences and insights on stages for TEDx, The World Economic Forum, USAID, Nat Geo Live, and more.

After a decade documenting remote expeditions from Everest to Antarctica, McBride decided to focus his cameras closer to home on a subject close to his heart—his backyard river, the Colorado. Four years and 1500 river-miles later, McBride produced the acclaimed book "The Colorado River, Flowing Through Conflict," three award-winning documentaries, and co-hosted a PBS TV program focused on environmental and conservation issues. His exploration extended to other watersheds, including a source-to-sea look at India’s sacred Ganges River. Following this journey, The National Geographic Society named McBride a “Freshwater Hero.”

In 2016, McBride hiked the entire length of Grand Canyon National Park—over 750 miles without a trail—to highlight the developmental challenges facing this iconic landscape. After completing this remarkable journey, National Geographic named him and his hiking companion, writer Kevin Fedarko, “Adventurers of the Year.” McBride has since released a Rizzoli book, "Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim," which won a National Outdoor Book Award and a feature-length documentary, "Into the Grand Canyon," for the National Geographic Channel, which was nominated for an Emmy in 2020. His work often addresses themes such as risk and challenge, conservation, water scarcity, and innovation, presented with a sense of adventure and humor. McBride holds a BA from Dartmouth College, was a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford, and resides in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where he spends his time practicing the mandolin when not on assignment.