The Pine River is a 19.2 mile long (30.9 km) 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...

 located in eastern New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of Ossipee Lake

Ossipee Lake

Ossipee Lake is located in Carroll County in eastern New Hampshire, in the communities of Ossipee and Freedom. At 3,245 acres, it is the sixth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. The lake is fed by the West Branch , the Bearcamp and Lovell rivers , and the Pine River...

, part of the Saco River

Saco River

The Saco River is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, from its source. It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000...

 watershed

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...

 leading to the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

.

Course

The Pine River begins at the outlet of Pine River Pond

Pine River Pond

Pine River Pond is a lake located in Carroll County in eastern New Hampshire, United States, in the town of Wakefield. Its outlet is the Pine River, which flows northwest to Ossipee Lake....

 in Wakefield, New Hampshire

Wakefield, New Hampshire

Wakefield is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,078 at the 2010 census. The town includes the villages of Wakefield Corner , East Wakefield, North Wakefield, Sanbornville, Union, Woodman and Province Lake...

. The river almost immediately enters the town of Ossipee

Ossipee, New Hampshire

Ossipee is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,345 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Carroll County...

 and heads northwest through a sandy, pine-forested valley. The Pine River Esker

Esker

An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...

, now mostly excavated by sand and gravel operations, follows the river for over six miles. The river enters the western corner of Effingham

Effingham, New Hampshire

Effingham is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 1,465. Effingham includes the villages of Effingham Falls, Effingham , Center Effingham , and South Effingham...

, passing through the Heath Pond Bog Natural Area, then reenters Ossipee two miles before the river's mouth at Ossipee Lake.

The Beech River

Beech River (New Hampshire)

The Beech River is a 13.1 mile long river located in eastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pine River, part of the Ossipee Lake / Saco River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean....

 is a significant tributary, entering just east of the village of Center Ossipee

Center Ossipee, New Hampshire

Center Ossipee is a census-designated place in the town of Ossipee in Carroll County, New Hampshire. The population was 561 at the 2010 census. It is one of two major villages in the town, the other being Ossipee Corner .New Hampshire Route 16 and Route 25 bypass the village to the east...

, one mile upstream from Ossipee Lake. New Hampshire Route 16

New Hampshire Route 16

New Hampshire Route 16 is a long north–south highway in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. NH 16 is the main route from the Seacoast region north to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a...

, while not following the river closely, occupies the same broad, sandy valley.