Wild & Scenic since 1976 · Wild and Recreational classifications

Middle Fork

The whitewater artery of the system. Born in the Great Bear Wilderness, it meets Highway 2 at Bear Creek and runs the canyon along the southern boundary of Glacier National Park to its confluence with the South Fork. Class IV water runs Moccasin Creek to West Glacier.

Live flow · USGS 12358500 · NR WEST GLACIER 812 cfs ↓ dropping

P10 MEDIAN

98% of the 85-year median for September 5 · near normal

2.05 ft · Drift 2.0-3.5 mph · Provisional

Weather · Essex 58° Partly cloudy
Wind 2 mph NW

SU 65° 49° 39% Sun: high 65 degrees, low 49 degrees, Rain, 39 percent chance of precipitation.
MO 69° 51° 76% Mon: high 69 degrees, low 51 degrees, Showers, 76 percent chance of precipitation.
TU 67° 49° 91% Tue: high 67 degrees, low 49 degrees, Showers, 91 percent chance of precipitation.
WE 66° 44° 89% Wed: high 66 degrees, low 44 degrees, Drizzle, 89 percent chance of precipitation.
TH 73° 46° Thu: high 73 degrees, low 46 degrees, Overcast.

Alerts · Essex No active NWS alerts 6 fire incidents within 75 mi NWS api.weather.gov · NIFC WFIGS · August smoke is a real trip factor here

MIDDLE FORK · 100.6 designated miles

100.6 miles, site by site

2,295 ft of drop · 23.5 ft per mile

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.

The Wild and Scenic Middle Fork of the Flathead is designated for 100.6 river miles, from its origin at the confluence of Strawberry and Bowl Creeks in the Great Bear Wilderness to its confluence with the South Fork Flathead, where the two combine to form the main stem Flathead River. The Middle Fork Wild designated segment originates in the Great Bear and flows until it reaches MT Highway 2 at Bear Creek, after which the river is Recreational designated. The Middle Fork contains whitewater up to class IV in the Wild section above Bear Creek and in the "whitewater section" from Moccasin Creek to West Glacier.

Designation language from the Flathead Rivers Alliance

The access picture

8 FRA sheets · 8 reviewed assessments

1 of 8 assessed launches shows an accessible route

Paola — the sheet shows an accessible route to the water there. At the other 7 assessed launches, it does not.

Source coverage

Access sites: 8
Captured in 360: 8
FRA access sheets: 8
Reviewed assessments: 8
Panoramas assigned: 285

Mobility interpretation

Not suitable: 4 launches
Limited: 4 launches

An interpretation from the sheet and its photographs, not a field measurement.

Measured extremes

Gentlest route to the water: 10.8% max grade · Essex
Steepest: 37.0% max grade · Bear Creek
Widest minimum tread: 25 ft · Essex

FRA field measurements, from the access survey sheets.

Coverage counts and interpretations summarize FRA's access sheets and the reviewed Terrain360 imagery assessment. Measured figures are FRA's field measurements; where the two disagree, the measurements are correct.

Access sites, upstream to down

All 8 captured in 360

53.4

Bear Creek First road access on the Middle Fork The first road-accessed boat launch on the Middle Fork of the Flathead. Narrow, uneven troughs run alongside the boat rails with numerous erosive vertical steps. 4.2 ft min tread 37.0% max grade · 95.9% hard

48.7

Essex It features a large vehicle parking area on the upper bench above the river, a sandy boat ramp at river level, and several undeveloped camp sites in the surrounding woods. 25.0 ft min tread 10.8% max grade · 95.9% hard

41.6

Paola The parking area is scattered into several smaller zones. 3.8 ft min tread 16.0% max grade · 47.3% firm

30.6

Cascadilla A single trailer turnaround loop allows access to several parking sites and a single-wide ramp of segmented cement blocks. Narrow tread width to either side of single-wide ramp. 12.0 ft min tread 12.6% max grade · 67.3% hard

23.0

Moccasin Creek Put-in only · whitewater reach Launch-only access at the confluence of Moccasin and Deer Lick Creeks, approx. 0.2 mi upstream of their confluence with the Middle Fork Flathead. Sheet, no statistics Cement block ramp, creek beds, undeveloped bank trail

14.9

West Glacier High traffic West Glacier access sees some of the most significant user traffic of any site along the Three Forks of the Flathead. Sheet, no statistics Cement block ramp, cobble bar

9.5

Blankenship River Access (West) Shore use favoured Primarily used by shore recreators, but can be used by float users, particularly during busy peak seasons. Sheet, no statistics Packed dirt, cobble bar

9.4

Blankenship River Access (East) Heavy use The river left (east) access at Blankenship Bridge, maintained by the county, sees extremely heavy use by floaters and shore recreators. Sheet, no statistics Packed dirt, cobble bar

–

Capture coming House of Mystery This undeveloped access approximately 1 R.M. Sheet, no statistics Packed dirt, pebble bar

Float the Middle Fork

6 floatable reaches

Pick a put-in and a take-out. Conditions change rapidly on this water; check the gauge the morning you float, not the night before.

812 cfs · near normal 98% of the 85-year median for September 5 (830 cfs, 1940-2024)

Reaches on the Middle Fork, with distance, estimated float time, elevation drop, gradient and character
Reach	Miles	Time	Drop	Ft/mi	Class
Bear Creek to Essex	4.7	1¼-2¼ hr	118 ft	25.1	Class II-IV
Essex to Paola	7.1	2-3½ hr	133 ft	18.7	Class II-IV
Paola to Cascadilla	11.0	3¼-5½ hr	190 ft	17.3	Class II-IV
Cascadilla to Moccasin Creek	7.6	2¼-3¾ hr	100 ft	13.1	Class II-IV
Moccasin Creek to West Glacier	8.1	2¼-4 hr	132 ft	16.2	Class III-IV · the whitewater section
West Glacier to Blankenship, west	5.4	1½-2¾ hr	49 ft	9.0	Class II-IV

Distances are from FRA's recorded river miles; times are an estimate at today's flow, and drop and ft/mi are derived from the elevation profile, not a field survey. The Moccasin to West Glacier reach is committing canyon water; scout, wear a PFD, and know your group's limits.

Plan a float

Homelands

The Three Forks flow through the homelands of the Séliš, Ql̓ispé, and Ktunaxa peoples, frequented by the Amskapi Piikani.

About the homelands FRA's own acknowledgment language appears here verbatim.