River Statistics
| Rafting Season |
Difficulty
|
Trip Length |
Flow |
|
Apr
Jun
|
|
|
View Flow
|
| Gradient |
Put In |
Take Out |
|
| 7 fpm |
Dickensheet Campground |
Priest River, ID. |
|
Photos
Licensed Outfitters
» General Shuttle Logistics
Put in: Dickensheet Campground
Take Out: Priest River, ID.
Shuttle Length: 22 mi.
Take out at Priest River, Idaho. Drive north on State Highway 57 to the put-in at Dickensheet Campground or at the dam outlet at Priest Lake. For car camping there are numerous dirt roads that reach the river form State Highway 57. There is also a paved road about half way down the run which crossed the river at a bridge overlooking McAbee Falls.
*for private parties
The Priest River below Dickensheet Campground offers a challenging overnight run with some Class II and III excitement, especially during high flows. The top 12 miles is roadless, having a wilderness flavor as it meanders through Idaho's splendor. It flows south from Priest Lake. There are numerous places to access the river by car, making car camping possible, and gear carrying unnecessary. In high water, it is best run by kayaks, rafts or competent canoeists with full floation. At lower flows it is a canoe run.
Scouting includes Chipmunk Rapid (Class II) about 4 miles below the put-in, McAbee Falls (Class II) about half-way down the run and Eight Mile Rapid (Class III) 6 miles above the take-out at Priest River. By mid-July the river is usually too low to run. For those putting in above Dickensheet Campground at the outlet of Priest Lake, Binarch Rapids (Class III) about 4 miles down the should be scouted.
Getting There: The Priest River lies north of the town of Priest River, which is 20miles southwest of Sandpoint. This is in Idaho's panhandle area and is best reached on U.S. 95 which bisects the panhandle.