Saint Joe River

The Saint Joe River is a 140-mile long tributary of Coeur d'Alene Lake in northern Idaho. Beginning at an elevation of 6,487 feet in the Northern Bitterroot Range of eastern Shoshone County, it flows generally west through the Saint Joe River Valley and the communities of Avery and Calder. Past Calder, it flows into Benewah County and through the town of St. Maries, where it receives its largest tributary, the Saint Maries River. It then turns northwest, passing through Heyburn State Park before reaching its mouth just north of the Kootenai County line. Much of the river's route through Heyburn State Park is partially flooded due to raised water levels from the Washington Water Power dam at Post Falls on the Spokane River below Coeur d'Alene Lake. With a mouth elevation of 2,129 feet , it is claimed to be the highest navigable river in the world. Multiple rivers in Canada are both higher and navigable, including the Babine, and Middle Rivers.

In 1978, 66.3 miles of the river were protected by the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, with 26.6 miles designated as wild and another 39.7 miles designated as recreational.

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