Priest
2. W. Br. Upper Priest River to Priest River Town
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 35.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Priest River Near Priest River, Id |
| Flow Rate as of 23 minutes | 3460 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | October 24, 2022 |
River Description
The main whitewater section is the four miles from below the outlet dam at Priest Lake to Dickensheet campground.
There is great parking at the put-in as well as a raft ramp leading down into a large eddy. Take-out parking is 7$ for day use at Dickensheet campground or have an Idaho State Parks pass.
Runnable flow range is 900cfs up with the best between 1200cfs and 1600cfs. Most of the run is class II swiftwater with one class III where Binarch Creek enters from river right. A great step up for boaters comming off the upper Spokane. Water quality is alway great and this area is beautiful. Many small play waves. Run takes about an hour so laps are easy.
There is also a great class III section in a gorge about 15 miles up from the town of Priest River. However, getting there sucks. It's miles and miles of lazy river oxbow bends on both sides of the class III section.
For more information, contact Ed Grove, 2420 N. George Mason Dr., Arl. VA 22207
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportTook the inflatable kayak down the Priest from Dickensheet campground to Lone Creek Road. Dragged bottom in spots and had to get out a few times. Overall pretty great. Would be hard much lower than this. Watch for a few partial streamers and rock dodging is a must. I saw two bald eagles, a number of deer, and an otter. Great day.
This page has descriptions from the Dam Outlet to the river mouth: http://www.grc101.com/IdahoPaddling/index.html#NorthIdaho
USFS has a map, too: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE\_DOCUMENTS/fsm9\_018811.pdf
Video from the upper most stretch which is off this pages map: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq-HJDxooC8
Runnable flow range is 900cfs up with the best between 1200cfs and 1600cfs. Most of the run is class II swiftwater with one class III where Binarch Creek enters from river right. A great step up for boaters comming off the upper Spokane. Water quality is alway great and this area is beautiful. Many small play waves. Run takes about an hour so laps are easy.
Putin is at a pullout just below the outlet damn and the takeout is at Dickensheet Campground.