Middle Fork of the Flathead
The whitewater artery of the system. Born in the Great Bear Wilderness, it meets Highway 2 at Bear Creek and runs the canyon to its confluence with the South Fork. Class IV water runs Moccasin Creek to West Glacier.
Wind 2 mph NW
- FR 86° 63° Fri: high 86 degrees, low 63 degrees, Overcast.
- SA 92° 63° Sat: high 92 degrees, low 63 degrees, Overcast.
- SU 72° 51° Sun: high 72 degrees, low 51 degrees, Clear.
- MO 63° 42° Mon: high 63 degrees, low 42 degrees, Drizzle.
- TU 79° 42° Tue: high 79 degrees, low 42 degrees, Overcast.
100.6 miles, site by site
2,295 ft of drop · 23.5 ft per mile
Bear Creek
RM 53.4 · 3,822 ft
Scene 18 · at the water
Essex
RM 48.7 · 3,704 ft
Scene 26 · at the water
Paola
RM 41.6 · 3,571 ft
Scene 19 · at the water
Cascadilla
RM 30.6 · 3,381 ft
Scene 20 · at the water
Moccasin Creek
RM 23 · 3,281 ft
Scene 29 · at the water
West Glacier
RM 14.9 · 3,150 ft
Scene 22 · at the water
Blankenship River Access (West)
RM 9.5 · 3,101 ft
Blankenship River Access (East)
RM 9.4 · 3,100 ft
Scene 11 · at the water
Elevation sampled from USGS 10m along the Wild & Scenic centerline. Hover or focus a site to see the panorama closest to the water.
Access, to scale
River miles descend downstreamWild and Scenic designation
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
Access sites, upstream to down
All 8 captured in 360
Bear Creek
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.
VAULT TOILET · 360° · SURVEY SHEET
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…
SEASONAL PORTABLE TOILET · 360° · SURVEY SHEET
Paola
The parking area is scattered into several smaller zones. A concrete slab ramp allows access to the cobble/boulder bar of the boat launch and is the…
SEASONAL PORTABLE TOILET · 360° · SURVEY SHEET
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…
VAULT TOILET · 360° · SURVEY SHEET
Moccasin Creek
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.
VAULT TOILET · 360° · SURVEY SHEET
West Glacier
West Glacier access sees some of the most significant user traffic of any site along the Three Forks of the Flathead. No cobble bar or access…
SEASONAL PORTABLE TOILETS, CHANGING ROOM · 360° · SURVEY SHEET
Blankenship River Access (West)
Primarily used by shore recreators, but can be used by float users, particularly during busy peak seasons. At high water, the bar washes out completely and…
NO FACILITIES · 360° · SURVEY SHEET
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.
SEASONAL VAULT TOILET (IN DOWNSTREAM PARKING AREA) · 360° · SURVEY SHEET
Capture coming
House of Mystery
This undeveloped access approximately 1 R.M. downstream from the confluence for the main Flathead River is used by recreators floating the lower miles of the Wild…
NO FACILITIES · SURVEY SHEETPlan a float
Distances from river miles · times estimated at today's flowPick a put-in and a take-out. Conditions change rapidly on this water; check the gauge the morning you float, not the night before.
| Put in | Take out | Miles | Est. time | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek RM 53.4 | Essex RM 48.7 | 4.7 | 1¼-2¼ hr | Class II-IV |
| Essex RM 48.7 | Paola RM 41.6 | 7.1 | 2-3½ hr | Class II-IV |
| Paola RM 41.6 | Cascadilla RM 30.6 | 11.0 | 3¼-5½ hr | Class II-IV |
| Cascadilla RM 30.6 | Moccasin Creek RM 23 | 7.6 | 2¼-3¾ hr | Class II-IV |
| Moccasin Creek RM 23 | West Glacier RM 14.9 | 8.1 | 2¼-4 hr | Class III-IV · the whitewater section |
| West Glacier RM 14.9 | Blankenship River Access (West) RM 9.5 | 5.4 | 1½-2¾ hr | Class II-IV |
Distances are exact, from the river miles FRA recorded at each access. Times are an estimate only: 2.0-3.5 mph of travel at today's flow, before you stop to fish, scout, or eat. A loaded raft is slower than a kayak. Class ratings are the fork's overall rating and shift with flow. The Moccasin to West Glacier reach is committing canyon water; scout, wear a PFD, and know your group's limits.
The Three Forks flow through the homelands of the Séliš, Ql̓ispé, and Ktunaxa peoples, frequented by the Amskapi Piikani. About the homelands