American River (Washington)

American River
The American River along Cougar Lake Trail in the William O. Douglas Wilderness
Location of the mouth of the American River in Washington Show map of Washington (state) American River (Washington) (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location
Country	United States
State	Washington
Region	Yakima County
Physical characteristics
Source	Cascade Range
• coordinates	46°49′10″N 121°27′36″W / 46.81944°N 121.46000°W / 46.81944; -121.46000[1]
• elevation	5,241 ft (1,597 m)[2]
Mouth	Bumping River
• coordinates	46°58′31″N 121°9′24″W / 46.97528°N 121.15667°W / 46.97528; -121.15667[1]
• elevation	2,765 ft (843 m)[2]
Length	20 mi (32 km)[1]
Discharge
• location	USGS gage 12488500 at river mile 0.5[3]
• average	233 cu ft/s (6.6 m3/s)[3]
• minimum	15 cu ft/s (0.42 m3/s)
• maximum	6,280 cu ft/s (178 m3/s)

The American River is a tributary of the Bumping River in Washington. It flows down the east side of the Cascade Range, through Wenatchee National Forest and the William O. Douglas Wilderness.

The American River is part of the Columbia River basin, via the Bumping, Naches, and Yakima rivers.

From its source at American Lake, it flows north for several miles, picking up its tributary the Rainier Fork American River, which flows east down from the vicinity of Chinook Pass. State Route 410 crossing Chinook Pass from Mount Rainier National Park, then follows the Rainier Fork and the American River valleys.

After its confluence with Rainier Fork, the American River flows through Pleasant Valley. It joins the Bumping River within the American Forks Campground.

An early name for the American River was Miners Creek. According to historian Gretta Gossett, the river was renamed for the American River in California, "by hopeful miners".^[4]