The Moclips River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Washington. It is about 12 miles (19.3 km) long. Its main tributary, the North Fork Moclips River, is longer than the main stem

Main Stem

"Main Stem" is 1942 instrumental by Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra. Although recorded in 1942, the single would not be released until 1944 where it was Duke Ellington's last of four number one's on the Harlem Hit Parade. "Main Stem" would also peak at number twenty on the pop chart"Main...

. The length of the North Fork, along with the lower main stem below the North Fork's confluence, is 17 miles (27.4 km). The drainage basin

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 of the Moclips River is 22.4 square miles (58 km²) in area.

Course

Both the Moclips River and its main tributary, the North Fork Moclips River, originate on the slopes of Macafee Hill. Both flow generally west. The North Fork joins the main river about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Pacific Ocean. The Moclips River empties into the Pacific near Moclips

Moclips, Washington

Moclips is a census-designated place in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 207 at the 2010 census. It is located near the mouth of the Moclips River....

.

History

According to Edmond S. Meany

Edmond S. Meany

Edmond S. Meany was a professor of botany and history at the University of Washington and a UW alumnus, having graduated as the valedictorian of his class in 1885...

 the word moclips comes from a Quinault

Quinault (tribe)

The Quinault are a group of Native American peoples from western Washington in the United States.-Lands:The Quinault Indian Reservation, at , is located on the Pacific coast of Washington, primarily in northwestern Grays Harbor County, with small parts extending north into southwestern Jefferson...

word meaning a place where girls were sent as they were approaching puberty. However, according to William Bright, the name comes from the Quinault word meaning, simply, "large stream".