RM 30.6 · 48.4252° N, 113.7746° W

360° · Terrain360 · Cascadilla Boat Launch

Measured in the field by FRA

5in

widest ramp gap, 6 in deep

Between the cement bars of the vehicle ramp

Max grade: 12.60%
Max cross slope: 8.50%
Min tread width: 12.0ft
Hard surface: 67.3%

Cascadilla River Access

A single trailer turnaround loop allows access to several parking sites and a single-wide ramp of segmented cement blocks. On busy days there is limited parking along the sides of Highway 2 in this area.

The survey

FRA field survey

Measurement	Average	Worst case
Running grade	4.20%	12.60%
Cross slope	1.90%	8.50%
Tread width	18.1ft	12.0ft
Elevation change, parking to water	+0.8ft	-12.2ft
Widest gap between cement bars, 6 in deep	n/a	5in

Surface, parking area to river 67.3% hard 32.7% paved

View the original survey sheet

Access concerns

Verbatim from the survey

Gaps up to 5 in wide and 6 in deep between cement bars of vehicle ramp.
Narrow tread width to either side of single-wide ramp.
Significant ramp erosion on the upstream side.
Large, uneven, embedded boulders in launch/landing area downstream of ramp.

Photographs

Terrain360 · July 2026

Another view of the access at Cascadilla on the Middle Fork.

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

Getting there

On the north side of US Highway 2, 22.6 miles east of the turn for the Hungry Horse Ranger Station.

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Access site lens

Supporting evidence · FRA access sheet · Jul 2026 + 21 Terrain360 panoramas

Derived from the 360 imagery, not measured on site. Where it disagrees with the survey above, the survey is correct.

Launch profile

FRA access description: Vehicle accessible ramp Segmented cement block ramp, cobble bar, embedded boulders
Kayaks + canoes: Good
Paddleboards: Good
Carry to the water: Under 50 ft
Carry terrain: Flat unpaved
Carry obstacles: Rocks

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: Steps, rough surface
Observed barriers: Steep grades, rough surfaces, no curb cuts
Accessible water feature: Not observed

Visitor management

Parking estimate: Not assessable from the source imagery
Simultaneous launch capacity: Single
Launch queue evidence: None
Designated camping indicated: Not observed
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: Bare soil
Privacy: Semi private

360° sequence evidence

Coverage + route

Assigned coverage: 21 panoramas across 1 capture session
Scene roles: Approach (2) · Launch area (4) · Parking (2) · Transition path (13)

Visible conditions

Surfaces by scene: Gravel lot (2) · Gravel path (15) · Natural (2) · Paved path (2)
Safety classification: No visible hazard (21)

Setting + use

Crowding by scene: Light (8) · None visible (13)
Naturalness by scene: High (21)

Facilities observed

Wooden plank walkway/ramp to water Scene 20
Gravel parking turnout Scene 7
Small pull-off parking area Scene 8
Wooden information board structure Scene 9

Curated RAPG fields are interpreted from the FRA access sheet and its photographs; sequence evidence summarizes only the assigned panoramas. Conditions may extend beyond every photographed view. FRA’s field measurements in the Measured access card remain the authority for access type, grades, widths, surfaces, gaps, and accessible parking.

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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.

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Read the transcript

Cascadilla, on the Middle Fork of the Flathead, at river mile 30.6.

Upstream from here is Paola. Downstream is Moccasin Creek.

Located on the north side of Highway 2, 22.6 miles east from the turn for the Hungry Horse Ranger Station.

The parking area is packed dirt and fine gravel.

There is no designated accessible parking.

The route from the parking area to the river averages 4.2 percent grade, steepening to 12.6 percent at its steepest point.

Cross slope, the sideways tilt that matters most in a wheelchair, averages 1.9 percent, with a maximum of 8.5 percent.

The path averages 18.1 feet wide, narrowing to 12 feet at its tightest.

Underfoot it is 67.3 percent hard, and 32.7 percent paved.

You drop about 12.2 feet on the way down to the water.

The launch itself is vehicle accessible ramp segmented cement block ramp, cobble bar, embedded boulders.

What the 360 imagery shows, from the 21 panoramas photographed here in July 2026. These are observations from the pictures, not field measurements.

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

Visible in the imagery: wooden plank walkway and ramp to water, gravel parking turnout and small pull-off parking area.

The setting reads as natural throughout the sequence, with little or no visible use.

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

Narrow tread width to either side of single-wide ramp.

Gaps up to 5 inches wide and 6 inches deep between cement bars of vehicle ramp.

Significant ramp erosion on the upstream side.

Large, uneven, embedded boulders in launch and landing area downstream of ramp.

Facilities: Vault toilet.

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

Parking + facilities

Vault toilet
Packed dirt & fine gravel parking
No designated accessible parking
No accessible route to the water

Safety

The next take-out downstream is Moccasin Creek, 7.6 miles. Below Moccasin Creek the river enters the Class II to IV whitewater section. Conditions change rapidly.

Neighbor sites

The river flows this way →

Upstream · RM 41.6 ← Paola

CASCADILLA
RM 30.6 · you are here

Downstream · RM 23 Moccasin Creek →

‹ Upstream put-in Paola River Access 11 mi float · 3.8 ft min tread

Downstream take-out › Moccasin Creek River Access 7.6 mi float · Last stop before the whitewater

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 access 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 FRA's own acknowledgment language appears here verbatim.