In the small town of
Kooskia, the Middle Fork and South Fork of the Clearwater River join their waters to form the main stem of the Clearwater. The larger Middle Fork is made up of the combined flows of the
Lochsa and
Selway rivers which flow from the
Bitterroot Mountains located to the east, while the much smaller South Fork originates in the
Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness to the south. From the confluence, the Clearwater flows northwest, passing the
Heart of the Monster site of the
Nez Perce National Historical Park. follows the river to
Kamiah, where Lawyer Creek from the southwest joins it. The river continues northwest through a canyon to the confluence with Lolo Creek from the east. It soon passes the town of
Greer and receives Jim Ford Creek from the east. At
Orofino, the river gains the waters of Orofino Creek and swings westward in a nearly straight line for about , then receives the
North Fork from the northeast at
Ahsahka, close to
Dworshak Reservoir. After the North Fork contributes its flow, the Clearwater continues west and receives Big Canyon Creek from the south and Bedrock Creek from the north. As the river canyon cuts deeper into the
Columbia Plateau, the Clearwater passes the unincorporated communities of
Lenore and Myrtle, where it receives Cottonwood Creek from the southeast, and Arrow, where it receives the
Potlatch River from the north. Lapwai Creek joins from the south, where the river passes close to
Spalding. Here, crosses the Clearwater and is co-signed with along the river's north bank for several miles. The river soon widens and slows into the slack water of
Lower Granite Lake as it approaches
Lewiston. Just as it crosses the Idaho-
Washington state line, it joins its waters with the Snake River. ==Tributaries==