| Sams River | |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Washington |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Mouth of Sams River in Washington |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Washington |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Olympic Peninsula |
| Subdivision Type4: | County |
| Subdivision Name4: | Jefferson |
| Length: | 15.7miles |
| Source1: | Finely Peak |
| Source1 Location: | Olympic National Park |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 47.5883°N -123.7578°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 2780feet[1] |
| Mouth: | Queets River |
| Mouth Location: | Olympic National Park |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 47.6239°N -124.0128°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 290feet[2] |
| Basin Size: | 30.8sqmi |
Sams River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. A tributary of the Queets River, Sams River flows through Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest. Part of the river's lower course forms the boundary between the national park and national forest.
Sams River is 15.7miles long.[3] Its drainage basin is 30.8sqmi in area.[4]
Sams River originates on the north slopes of Finley Peak in Olympic National Park. The river flows north a short distance, then west between Sams Ridge, to the north, and Matheny Ridge, to the south. Along the way the river leaves the national park and enters Olympic National Forest. For several miles the national park and forest boundary runs along the crest of Sams Ridge. At the western end of the ridge, where the Olympic Mountains open up into broader valleys, the boundary follows Sams River. The boundary turns south near the mouth of Sams River, leaving the final half mile or so within the national park.
Sams River joins the Queets River just upstream from Queets Campground, located near Sams Rapids on the Queets River. The Queets Ranger Station is located about a mile downstream from Sams River.[5]
The origin of the river's name is not certain. There are two stories about it. According to one story the name comes from Harry and Sam Sams, who were members of an important Quinault family. Every autumn they poled their dugout canoes up the Queets River to Sams Rapids and the mouth of Sams River, where they hunted elk and caught salmon, which they smoked and sold to settlers. Some historians think the name is derived from the word sams or samis, a shortened form of Samms-mish, a prominent Quinault tribal group which once lived along Sams River.[6]