Priest River facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Priest River
Log drivers on the Priest River
Location of the mouth of the Priest River in Idaho
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Bonner County, Idaho
Physical characteristics
Main source	Upper Priest Lake Bonner County, Idaho 2,445 ft (745 m) 48°45′58″N 116°51′52″W / 48.76611°N 116.86444°W / 48.76611; -116.86444
River mouth	Pend Oreille River in Priest River, Bonner County, Idaho 2,054 ft (626 m) 48°10′37″N 116°53′34″W / 48.17694°N 116.89278°W / 48.17694; -116.89278
Length	68 mi (109 km)
Basin features
Basin size	980 sq mi (2,500 km2)
Tributaries	Left: East River, Lion Creek Right: Upper West Branch, Lower West Branch, Granite Creek

The Priest River is a beautiful river in Idaho, United States. It flows for about 68 miles (109 kilometers). This river is a tributary of the Pend Oreille River. A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river.

The Priest River is also part of the huge Columbia River basin. This means its waters eventually join the Columbia River. The area of land that drains into the Priest River is called its drainage basin. This basin covers about 980 square miles (2,538 square kilometers). The river got its name from a Roman Catholic priest, Father Roothaan.

Journey of the Priest River: Where Does It Flow?

The Priest River starts its journey in a place called Upper Priest Lake. From there, it flows south into another lake, Priest Lake. After leaving the southern end of Priest Lake, the river continues its path south.

It finally meets the Pend Oreille River near the town of Priest River. There's also a part called the Upper Priest River. This section begins close to the border between the U.S. and Canada. It flows south directly into Upper Priest Lake.

Rivers That Join the Priest River: Its Tributaries

The Priest River has several important streams and smaller rivers that flow into it. These are also called tributaries.

• East River: This river joins the Priest River from the left side. It has many smaller streams that flow into it before it reaches the Priest River.
• Upper West Branch Priest River: This is one of two main branches that join the Priest River from the right side.
• Lower West Branch Priest River: This is the other main branch from the right. It's quite popular and features a beautiful spot called Torelle Falls.

Here is a list of some of the creeks and branches that feed into the Priest River:

• Indian creek
• Lion creek
• Hunt creek
• Soldier creek
• Quartz creek
• Upper west branch Priest River
• Lower west branch Priest River
• East River
• Big creek
• Blue creek