The city of Priest River is located in the Idaho Panhandle about 20 miles west of Sandpoint, Idaho; 55 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington; 50 miles northwest of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; 25 miles south of Priest Lake, and 75 miles south of the Canadian border. Priest River lies on The International Selkirk Loop - a 280-mile circuit exploring more than two dozen towns in Washington, Idaho, and the Canadian Province of British Columbia.
The dominant lakes in the area are Priest Lake and Lake Pend Oreille (a 40 mile long lake in the shape of an ear ring). The Priest Lake area hosts many attractions and it has a rich history of trapping, mining, logging, and movie making.
Upper Priest Lake is one of Ralph's favorite places to visit. There is no privately-owned land around the lake. The lake is accessible by boat, on horseback, by mountain bike, or on foot. Ralph prefers to access the lake by hiking into one of the four campgrounds (CG) on the lake (Plowboy CG, Naviation CG, Geisinger CG, Trapper CG). Ralph's favorite is Trapper - it's about a five mile hike from the trailhead for Trail 302 which is located on US Forest Service Road 655 or from the trailhead for Trail 58 which is located near Caribou Creek. on the east side of Priest Lake just north of the Lions Head unit of Priest Lake State Park.
The Priest Lake area is a hiker's paradise as well as an ideal location for bird watching and wildlife viewing.
The Salmo-Priest Wilderness Area, which lies in the northeast corner of Washington state, offers world-class views to the adventuring hiker. The area is about a 75-mile drive from Priest River.
Ralph and Barbara
(and home of The North Idaho Hiker)
