Roughly five miles east of the Washington border, and taking its name from the renowned trout-fishing stream that flows into the Pend Oreille River nearby, Priest River (pop. 1,754) is a supply center for hunters, anglers, and river-runners, as well as a busy lumber town, with two huge Louisiana Pacific mills dominating the local economy.
Priest River may not look like much from the highway, but the three blocks of Main Street running south from US-2 hold an interesting mix of hardware stores, antique stores, and taverns. The popular River Pigs restaurant (208/448-1097) is at 114 Main Street, and there’s also a small historical museum and ad hoc visitors center in the nearby Keyser House (208/448-2721).
