Glacier Rim River Access

Glacier Rim, on the North Fork of the Flathead, at river mile 3.8.

Upstream from here is Great Northern Flats.

Drive 1.6 miles north from the intersection of the Blankenship and North Fork Roads, then take a sharp right and follow the drive downhill to the river access.

The parking area is packed gravel and aggregate.

There is no designated accessible parking.

The route from the parking area to the river averages 6.4 percent grade, steepening to 16.1 percent at its steepest point.

Cross slope, the sideways tilt that matters most in a wheelchair, averages 1.4 percent, with a maximum of 4.7 percent.

The path averages 7.5 feet wide, narrowing to 3 feet at its tightest.

Underfoot it is 60.6 percent hard, and 28.2 percent firm, and 11.2 percent paved.

You drop about 20.1 feet on the way down to the water.

The launch itself is vehicle accessible bar concrete ramp, cobble bar.

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

Seasonal high-water cycles can create variable cross slopes and compacted dirt and sand drifts across the concrete ramp.

Facilities: Vault toilet.

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