Priest River Visitors Guide

Where and what is Priest River, Idaho?

Where:
Priest River is located in the far Northern part of Idaho, nestled in a beautiful mountain valley less than 100 miles (as the crow flies) from Canada. It's about an hour East of Spokane, Washington on Highway 2, or a 1/2 hour West of Sandpoint, Idaho - home of the Schweitzer Basin ski area. South on Highway 41 is Coeur d'Alene, Idaho the home of North Idaho College and Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Priest River is often called the "Gateway to Priest Lake" as you must pass through it to get to Highway 57 North to the lake. The town sits at the junction of the Priest River and the Pend Oreille River - where you can boat all the way up to Sandpoint and Lake Pend Oreille.  

What:
Priest River is a small town that enjoys clean air, clear water, and plenty of recreational opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast in both winter and summer. We enjoy swimming, boating, rafting, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, photography, mushroom hunting, huckleberry picking, snow shoeing, skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, sledding, to name just part of it! But to say that ours is a recreation paradise is to give only part of the picture. Its also a great place to live. (Unless, of course, your idea of living is going out for dinner at 2 a.m.) 

We enjoy a small community where the grocery store checkers remember who our children are, where the UPS man knows to deliver our packages at work even though they are addressed to our home in the country, where the lady in the post office can put our mail in the right box even if we forgot the box number, and where we can enjoy a pleasant social life just by taking a little extra time to visit while shopping. It's a town where the people smile and greet one another in parking lots, at the post office, and in the stores. Its a town where you might not get to have that discussion with someone over lunch because too many people stopped by your table to say hello. Its a town where a "damsel in distress" might reasonably expect someone to stop and help her change a tire or get a stalled car going - and she won't have to worry that someone might be a mugger, since it's probably someone she knows! 

Priest River is also an interesting place to live or visit. We start the summer season with holding the biggest "yard sale" Priest River has ever seen on the first Saturday in May. Dubbed the "May Day Sale," it includes all businesses who want to clear out their winter merchandise, all organizations who want to raise money for their projects, and all individuals who wish to participate. Residents who live out of town are given space in business parking lots to set up their merchandise. May Day '99 gave Priest River its first real "traffic jam!." 

Priest Lake Links

Priest Lake Chamber of Commerce  
Copper Bay Construction

Priest River Links

Priest River Chamber of Commerce
West Bonner county Schools

Sandpoint Links

Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce
Schweitzer Ski Center
Sandpoint School district

Bonner County Links

Bonner County Government Website

Area Links

Sandpoint.com

State of Idaho Links

State of Idaho Department of Tourism
State of Idaho Government Website

Misc. Websites

Flight Arrivals
Interstate Driving Conditions
National geographic Map Machine
Idaho Real Estate Listings.com

 

Next is the 4th of July. It has become a tradition to enjoy a great fireworks display at dark every 4th of July. (No matter what day of the week it happens to be.) This is held at the Bonner County Park.

The last Saturday in July is always Timber Day - be sure to catch the parade, the logging competitions, and all the food and crafts in the park.  

In August the local "Yacht Club" hosts a river raft race from the "Mudhole" camp ground down to the County docks. 1999 was the "first annual" and the event has grown each year since. There are classes for homemade rafts, rubber rafts, canoes, etc. Trophies and prizes go to the lucky winners. 

December brings the community out for Christmas on Main Street and the lighting contest. Christmas on Main Street is for the kids and is held on a Monday evening. Santa Claus always attends and the kids are treated to fun, games, and refreshments. 

Nature's beauty is sometimes at its finest in winter . . .

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 As the Chamber of Commerce gains more enthusiastic members the number of events is increasing. Come, join our town and our Chamber and help us make even more fun!

Small town living isn't for everyone. But, for those of us who love it, ours is the best of all worlds. We enjoy nature's beauty every day and the changing seasons give us a wonderful variety to please the eye. We enjoy a feeling of security, knowing that we are among friends - not to mention knowing that we have almost no violent crime. We enjoy use of the rivers and lakes and mountains. And... when we tire of the quiet life, the "big city" is only an hour away. 

Facts and figures can't begin to tell you about Priest River - come and see it for yourself! 

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The Facts

 Elevation : 2100 ft.
Climate : "MODERATE" (average winter lows - teens, summer highs - 80's)
Avg. Snowfall : 72" (about 2' on the ground at one time)
Population : 3,000 (town and surrounding countryside)
Airport : 3,000' lighted runway
Medical Clinic : Two (2) doctors
Dentists : Two (2) family dentists
Churches : Eight churches of varying denominations
Hospitals : Newport (6 miles), Sandpoint, Spokane, Coeur d'Alene
Golfing : 9 hole course, others at Priest Lake (18 hole) and Blanchard (18 hole)

CENTURY 21 RiverStone
305 N. First Ave
Sandpoint, ID 83864
office (208)255-2244 
fax (888) 276-7704
toll free (800)205-8771