This is part of my "Camping Skills" series. Others posts in the series are listed at the bottom.

I love hiking and camping near rivers and creeks. Watching and listening to moving water is both calming and invigorating. Rivers are constantly dynamic. I think it is human nature to be drawn to water; maybe because we are not so different than a creek--we are both mostly made of hydrogen and oxygen.

Follow up:

Crossing a creek can be dangerous, exciting, fun and necessary. So next time you are out hiking and need to get across a creek, stop and admire it for a little bit, then follow these instructions for getting across.

• Look for a stick that is about shoulder high and as thick as your wrist. Extra credit for finding one that is forked at one end—it will grab the rocks on the stream bottom better. If you have trekking poles, they work great.
• If you are wearing a backpack, undo the waist belt and sternum strap so you can quickly ditch the bag should you fall in. (A wet backpack can weigh you down.)
• Slip on your water shoes if you have them. If not, go barefooted.
• Enter the water at an angle facing the current.
• Plant the stick upstream and slowly work your way across.
• Don dry shoes and socks on the other side and your feet will warm right back up.

Another trick that has worked well for me is to follow the above instructions, but have two or three people cross at a time. The person with the stick is in the front and the others line up behind her, holding onto the waist in front of them. The front person calls out when to take a step to the side, and everyone steps at the same time.

This is especially beneficial for young hikers as the current is buffered by the person in front, making it easier for the folks behind her.

Watch a video with some other methods of crossing a river at Backpacker.com.

Need more skills?
How to Tie Knots
Bear Hang How-to
Build a Campfire
How to Cross a River