赤水市位于贵州省西北部，距贵阳市４００余公里，与四川南部三县接壤，江连巴蜀，素有“黔北门户”之称。市区离川南重镇沪州７０余公里，至重庆约２４０公里，处在成都--乐山--自贡和重庆--三峡两条旅游热线的双重辐射范围内；与四川合江福宝森林公园、重庆市江津四面山国家重点风景名胜区紧密相连；往南经茅台旅游区、遵义旅游区与贵州其他景区和贵阳相通。

　　全市森林覆盖率为54.2％，景区达90％以上，其植物植被是地球同纬度保存最为完好的常绿阔叶林带。千姿百态的水体景观、神奇险秀的丹霞地貌景观、大片原生森林和竹海景观、丰富多彩的人文景观倍受人们的赞誉。近几年来，国务院旅游资源考察团、中科院西南国土资源考察团、法国环保考察团、贵州森林资源考察团等十多个团队和各级领导、国内外的许多专家学者来赤水考察后，评价赤水是“千瀑之市、楠竹之乡、桫椤王国、丹霞之冠、美酒之河、旅游胜地”，赤水的自然风光“在全国也属佼佼者之列”，“许多景观不但在国内罕见，在世界上也属难得”，“它将是国际旅游市场的竞争者”。
　　赤水境内河溪纵横，泉点密布，共有大小河溪352条，湖塘水库790多处，优美的河段、湖泊组成千姿百态的水体景观，尤以瀑布众多而被誉为“千瀑之市”。

千姿百态的水体景观

　　中洞瀑布被中科院考察团评为：“中国帘状瀑布的典型代表”。瀑宽75.6米，高18米，水帘分布均匀，尤如翠海丹霞中悬挂着一副玲珑剔透的银色珠帘。
　　四洞沟景区内有30多个形态各异的瀑布，被国务院旅游资源考察团称之为“万竹之园”中的“小家碧玉”，“没有败笔的景区”。大白岩瀑布高达３９２米，是全国最高的瀑布之一。甘沟瀑布群有２７级瀑布，蜿蜒曲折，秀丽多姿，处于原始环境之中。长达千余米的长石梯瀑布群，与桫椤融交一体的仁溪瀑布，原生森林中的盘龙河瀑布群，还有水泡瀑布、雾状瀑布、暗瀑等都是奇异非凡的瀑布景观。
　　赤水可说是有山必绿，有水必瀑，难怪有“千瀑之市”的称号。

神奇险秀的丹霞地貌景观

　　赤水丹霞地貌以其艳丽的丹霞赤壁，拨地而起的孤窄峰脊，仪态万千的奇山异石，巨大的岩廊洞穴和优美的丹霞峡谷而令人倾倒。其中不乏全国罕见的景观。
　　万年石伞是一座丹霞节理风化而成的伞状巨石,高6.2米，伞顶周长17米，伞把最细处仅长1.2米，伞顶芳草如茵，林木葱茏，周围古木参天。传说是峨眉山飞来的宝石，有许多美妙动人的传说。
　　天生桥赤水境内由水平丹岩层经流水节理崩塌形成的天生桥，目前已发现四座。如渡仙桥是一座横跨于冲沟之上的天然石桥，桥身是一条长20米，宽3米,厚2米左右的巨石，桥高6.2米。桥体坚固，桥面平整，周围翠竹成林，桥下流水潺潺。

丰富多彩的森林景观

　　桫椤自然保护区位于金沙沟至天星桥间的山峦和幽谷中，面积30平方公里，内有桫椤13万株以上，这是目前国内已知的桫椤集中分种群数量最大的地区，也是全球同纬度唯一幸存的桫椤原生林，被科学界誉为“赤水河畔的桫椤王国”。
　　在赤水境内，还发现了长度超过自贡恐龙的巨大恐龙足印，证实了这里曾是恐龙出没频繁的地方。

　　赤水风景区的人文景观也十分丰富，闻名中外的红军四渡赤水之战，在赤水留下了众多的纪念地，赤水建城九百多年，历代留下了许多文物古迹，如石城墙城门，庙宇宫殿，大量工艺精湛的石刻，民族风情等，都独具特色，颇有吸引力。
　　赤水风景名胜区具有较好的客源条件和交通条件。赤水与重庆成都、泸州、自贡、宜宾等大、中城市及峨眉山、大足石刻、长宁竹海、兴文石海洞乡、乐山大佛、江津四面山等风景区距离颇近，均有车或船相通，只有半天至一天的路程，如与他们形成旅游线路网络，赤水景区的客源十分丰富。重庆和泸州是进出赤水的重要门户，赤水至重庆２４１公里，有直达旅游客船，当日可达，还有多班汽车相通。重庆通往全国各地的航空、铁路、水运十分方便。赤水至泸州78公里，每日有十多班客车相通。泸州有民航、铁路、水运通往全国各地。贵阳可乘飞机经泸州到赤水。赤水至大（方）纳（溪）国道线上的叙永仅40多公里，此线与贵州各风景区联系也十分方便。赤水城至赤水各主要景区都有公路连接，有的景区还可乘客轮直达。

　Chishui, officially designated a city in 1990, lies on the Chishui River, and became part of Guizhou as late as in 1728, Chishui is physically, economically, historically and ethnically closer to the red sandstone basin of Sichuan than to Guizhou and an important trade route to Sichuan. By means of the Chishui (meaning Red Water in Chinese) River salt was transported downstream from Sichuan to the lower reaches in Guizhou. Moutai Township used to be a salt port on the river, growing gradually into one of the well-known towns in the northern Guizhou. Since then, Moutai liquor has become popular.
　With the new ease of movement in China, domestic tourism is growing. In 1988, representatives from Beijing designated Chishui a tourist development area. Since then tourism has been much promoted and developing rapidly. There are several attractive places worth visiting around the area. Jinshagou means a "valley full of gold sand". It is 45 km away from Chishui City and divided into two parts. The first is the Chishui National Nature Reserve of Spinulose Tree Ferns; the other is a 18000 hectares of bamboo forest. In spring camellia and azalea flowers are gorgeous.
　The Chishui National Nature Reserve extends over 32 sq km and is the first protected area of its kind in China, gaining its present status in 1984 for its exotic spinulose tree ferns, a living fossil of the Jurassic Period full of ancient plants and dinosaurs. With huge leaves radiating in all directions, an average 4-8 meters tall spinulose tree fern looks like a big strange umbrella. Having existed since the Jurassic Period (about 1800 million years ago), the spinulose tree fern is a sort of rare, subtropical, exotic-looking, woody fern and an endangered plant now under strict state protection. It is well known as a living fossil of the ancient plants in that period full of dinosaurs. Furthermore, the woody trunks contain much starch and tannin that can be used for medical purposes.
　Situated in Chishui County and covering an area of 13 300 hectares, the virgin forest is one of the earliest national reserves of "spinulose tree ferns" with its ecosystem. Fortunately, a large area of 1600 mu of the rarely seen tree fern forest has been found recently in the Jinshagou Valley, 45 km south of Chishui City. It is surrounded by the 10000 hectare virgin forest which provides the fern forest with the conditions necessary for survival of liberal humidity and shade.

　The Sidonggou Valley means "a valley with four openings" and is 17 km away from Chishui with a new stone pathway running through the valley that takes one past four exceptionally beautiful waterfalls of varying heights. The valley is covered with green bamboo trees, plants, arbor trees and a large variety of ferns, most of which are the tree fern (spinulose tree fern). The surrounding area, crisscrossed by ancient tracks, is an excellent walking area for hikers, and provides a taste of village life. Farmers here live simply and naturally, far from modern society.
　Shizhangdong Scenic spot is 37 km from Chishui, a beautiful valley through which one can enjoy a multi stepped waterfall and a wide variety of ferns and some exotic plants unknown to most visitors. Nearby is 6000 hectares of primeval forest with rare animals and plants. The famous Shizhangdong Fall is situated on the Fengxihe River, a branch of the Chishui River in the southeast of Chishui County. 72 meters high and 68 meters wide, the water drops into a semi-circular pool with a deafening roar. Visitors can walk down to the river level and stand behind the roaring curtain of water to feel the power of the fall.
　Walking down along the green valley is also a delightful and enjoyable experience. The Fengxi River, 70 km long, originates from Huangjinba of Gulan County in Sichuan Province and flows finally into the Chishui River near the city of Chishui. With a sharp drop of 192 meters within the 3.5 km long valley, the Fengxi, down from Shizhangdong, becomes a group of multi-step falls, rushing forward, pouring down angrily and then rolling thunderously on again like a fierce dragon. Of all these grand falls, the most magnificent main fall is Shizhangdong. The main fall is the second largest in Guizhou Province, only second to the Huangguoshu Waterfall. Two kilometers down from the Shizhangdong Waterfall, there is another big fall called Zhongdong Fall, 60 meters wide and 20 meters high. It looks much gentler. Looking down from a mountaintop nearby, visitors may feel as if there were huge white curtains hanging on the cliffs in the valley. What a sight it is!