RM 9.4 · 48.4655° N, 114.0705° W

360° · Terrain360 · Blankenship Boat Launch

Measured in the field by FRA

The Flathead Rivers Alliance has published an access sheet for this launch, and it says the engineering statistics are not available yet. The 360 imagery is the best picture of what you will find.

Blankenship River Access (East)

The river left (east) access at Blankenship Bridge, maintained by the county, sees extremely heavy use by floaters and shore recreators. A ramp on the upstream side allows vehicle access to the cobble bar, while a dirt walking path downstream allows small craft floaters another access option.

Access concerns

From Flathead Rivers Alliance

Bar washes out completely at high water.
Loose substrates on the cobble bar can be challenging to navigate.
Major ruts and holes in the parking area and a road crossing to reach the vault toilet from the main float user access.
When usage is at its peak, parallel parking along the Blankenship Road may be required.

Photographs

Terrain360 · July 2026

Another view of the access at Blankenship River Access (East) on the Middle Fork.

Field photography Terrain360, July 2026 · site photos courtesy Flathead Rivers Alliance

Getting there

From the Hungry Horse Ranger Station, travel 4.9 miles north on US Highway 2. Turn left onto Belton Stage Road. After 0.9 miles, take a sharp left onto Blankenship Road. In 2.8 miles, take the first right or left before the bridge.

Open in maps

Access site lens

Supporting evidence · FRA access sheet · Jul 2026 + 37 Terrain360 panoramas

Launch profile

FRA access description: Vehicle accessible bar Packed dirt, cobble bar
Kayaks + canoes: Good
Carry to the water: 50–150 ft
Carry terrain: Flat unpaved
Carry obstacles: Rocks, mud

Safety + condition

Safety interpretation: Fair
Overall condition: Fair
Access hazards: Unstable footing · Submerged hazards likely
Water obstacles: Rocks
Deferred maintenance signal: Observed

Accessibility observations

Mobility device interpretation: Not suitable
Designated accessible parking: None
Route shown in sheet: Not observed
Route obstacles: Rough surface, steep grades
Observed barriers: Rough surfaces, steep grades
Accessible water feature: Not observed

Visitor management

Parking estimate: Not assessable from the source imagery
Simultaneous launch capacity: Not assessable from the source imagery
Launch queue evidence: None
Designated camping indicated: Not assessable from the source imagery
Registration infrastructure: None identified in the source sheet

Experience indicators

Setting: Rural
Recreation character: Lightly managed
Development in view: Minor
Social trails: Not observed
Informal campsite evidence: Not observed
Use-conflict evidence: None observed in the source

Recreation profile

Observed recreation: None observed
Water skill interpretation: Beginner
Physical ability interpretation: Moderate
Wear patterns: Moderate
Heavy-use signals: Rutting, bare soil
Privacy: Visible

Hazards observed

Oncoming vehicle headlight on narrow bridge Scene 7 Scene 9
Standing water pooled on roadway Scene 2
Approaching vehicle headlight on narrow bridge Scene 8
Partially submerged vehicle in pond Scene 3
Pothole/rough patch in gravel road Scene 4
Uneven rocky shoreline near water Scene 10

Facilities observed

Information kiosk with posted board Scene 8
Gravel parking turnout Scene 0
Gravel parking turnout with SUV Scene 7
Informal parking area with vehicles Scene 6
Information board/kiosk on roadside Scene 9
Small shelter/kiosk structure Scene 1

Where this information comes from

You are here Open the full map

More 360 tours here

Blankenship Boat Launch · 2

Blankenship Boat Launch · 3

Audio description

A narrated walk-through of this site: the ramp, the gaps, the surfaces, and the hazards, read from the survey and the 360 imagery.

0:00 / 0:00

Read the transcript

Blankenship River Access (East), on the Middle Fork of the Flathead, at river mile 9.4.

Upstream from here is Blankenship River Access (West).

From the Hungry Horse Ranger Station, travel 4.9 miles north on Highway 2. Turn left onto Belton Stage. After 0.9 miles, take a sharp left onto Blankenship Road. In 2.8 miles, take the first right or left before the bridge.

The parking area is packed dirt.

There is no designated accessible parking.

The Flathead Rivers Alliance has not published measured survey data for this site yet, so the details that follow come from the site description rather than from field measurements.

The launch itself is vehicle accessible bar packed dirt, cobble bar.

What the 360 imagery shows, from the 37 panoramas photographed here in July 2026. These are observations from the pictures, not field measurements.

Underfoot, the scenes mostly show a gravel parking lot, a gravel path and a paved path.

Noted in individual panoramas: oncoming vehicle headlight on narrow bridge; standing water pooled on roadway; partially submerged vehicle in pond.

Visible in the imagery: information kiosk with posted board, gravel parking turnout and informal parking area with vehicles.

What to watch for, in the survey crew's own words:

Bar washes out completely at high water.

Loose substrates on the cobble bar can be challenging to navigate.

Major ruts and holes in the parking area and a road crossing to reach the vault toilet from the main float user access.

When usage is at its peak, parallel parking along the Blankenship Road may be required.

Facilities: Seasonal vault toilet (in downstream parking area).

Conditions on the Three Forks change quickly. Check the gauge the morning you float.

Parking + facilities

Seasonal vault toilet (in downstream parking area)
Packed dirt parking
No designated accessible parking
No accessible route to the water

Safety

Conditions change rapidly on all three forks.

Upstream and downstream access points

The river flows this way →

Upstream · RM 9.5 ← Blankenship River Access (West)

BLANKENSHIP RIVER.
RM 9.5 / 9.4 · you are here

Downstream · Confluence

‹ Upstream put-in Blankenship River Access (West) 0.1 mi float

Downstream Confluence

Middle Fork · where this site sits

5,324 ft RM 97.4 · headwaters 2,295 ft of drop · 23.5 ft per mile average · whitewater reach · hatched: no vehicle-accessible site 3,029 ft confluence

Elevation sampled from USGS 10m along the Wild & Scenic centerline. Hover or focus a site to see the panorama closest to the water.

Homelands

The river system flows through the traditional homelands of the Ql'ispe (Kalispel or Pend d' Orielle) Ktunaxa/Ksanka (Kootenai), and Séliš (Salish or "Flathead") Nations, who have long cared for this landscape, and the Amskapii Pikuni (Blackfeet) Peoples who often traveled in the river corridor.

About the homelands