A remote waterfall in old-growth forest along an unmaintained trail connecting to a wild scenic river corridor.
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Based on this listing's approximate location — see the note on coordinates below.
Upper Priest Falls, also called American Falls, is a remote waterfall accessed via Upper Priest River Trail #308 in the Idaho Panhandle’s Priest Lake area. The U.S. Forest Service manages this trail through old-growth forest and wild scenic river terrain near Nordman.
The falls are reached via a trail connection through Continental Creek Trail #28, but the official Forest Service documentation does not specify the exact mileage to the falls or provide a specific height measurement. This reflects the remote, undeveloped nature of the destination and its positioning within a larger backcountry trail system rather than as a single-destination waterfall hike.
The surrounding landscape features old-growth forest ecology and wild river corridors, making this a destination for wilderness-oriented travelers comfortable with variable trail conditions and navigation challenges. Summer through early fall offers the most reliable conditions for attempting this moderate-difficulty outing. This waterfall represents the category of remote, lightly documented Idaho cascades suitable for backcountry explorers seeking solitude and natural immersion rather than convenient day-hike accessibility.
Summer through early fall for mountain trail conditions.
Those without wilderness navigation experience or preference for developed trails.
No fee or permit requirement was published on the managing agency's site when we last checked — confirm current conditions before you go, since these change.
The managing agency's page (linked below) has the current trailhead and route details — round-trip distance wasn't published when we checked.
We track 8 waterfalls in Idaho Panhandle.
There are 3 other waterfalls we track in Boundary. All Idaho Panhandle waterfalls →
fs.usda.gov
U.S. Forest Service official Idaho Panhandle National Forests Upper Priest River Trail #308 page, checked 2026-09-04. Page confirms the trail connects, via Continental Creek Trail #28, to Upper Priest River Falls (also called American Falls); exact mileage/height for the falls spur is not itemized, so left null. No closure notice found.
Checked September 2026.