Paola River Access

Paola, on the Middle Fork of the Flathead, at river mile 41.6.

Upstream from here is Essex. Downstream is Cascadilla.

Located on the north side of Highway 2, 31.4 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 4.5 percent grade, steepening to 16 percent at its steepest point.

Cross slope, the sideways tilt that matters most in a wheelchair, averages 2 percent, with a maximum of 7 percent.

The path averages 14.4 feet wide, narrowing to 3.8 feet at its tightest.

Underfoot it is 47.3 percent firm, and 29.2 percent hard, and 23.5 percent paved.

You drop about 10.6 feet on the way down to the water.

The launch itself is vehicle accessible bar cement ramp, cobbled and bouldered bar.

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

Large, embedded boulders(>10 in) and rounded cobbles (8-10 in) in the substrate make footing and vehicle traction more challenging than at some other accesses.

The bank becomes significantly steeper as it reaches the river at low water levels.

Facilities: Seasonal portable toilet.

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