Blankenship Bridge to Teakettle (Columbia Falls)
GO Running well at 4,460 CFS. · Conditions as of Sep 1, 2026, 1:45 AM. Printed snapshot generated Sep 1, 2026, 2:27 AM— conditions change, wood moves, levels swing. Verify the gauge and scout anything you can't read from upstream.
The run
The upper mainstem — confluence-to-Columbia Falls. Wide, scenic, mostly Class I with strong steady current. Bad Rock Canyon scenery and the House of Mystery as a midway landmark; the South Fork joins about 5 miles below the put-in.
Getting there & back
Put-in
Blankenship Bridge — Just upstream of the bridge on river-left is the formal river access. County non-fee campground on opposite bank. WATCH the bridge pylons — wrap potential. Reachable from Highway 2 above Coram.
Take-out
Teakettle (Columbia Falls) — FWP access below the Highway 2 bridge on river-right. Nice boat launch.
Shuttle (take-out → put-in): 10 mi · ≈ 23 min
Rules & contacts
- Personal flotation device. A USCG-approved PFD must be carried on board for every person. Anyone 12 or under must wear a PFD while the vessel is underway.
- Bear-resistant food storage. IGBC-approved bear-resistant food storage is required in the river corridor — this is grizzly country.
- Human-waste containment. Self-contained or solid human-waste containment is required on the Middle and North Forks (recommended on the South Fork).
- Fire management. Fire pans or fire blankets are required or strongly recommended; camp stoves are preferred over campfires.
- Aquatic-invasive-species inspection. An AIS inspection (NPS and Montana FWP) is required before launching anywhere in the basin.
- Emergencies. Dial 911. Cell coverage is limited throughout the corridor — plan to be self-reliant between accesses.
- Primary rescue. North Valley Search & Rescue covers all three forks of the Flathead.
- FWP warden. Tyler Melville (North Fork) · Ben Chappelow (Middle and South Forks)
- Nearest hospitals. Logan Health Whitefish and Logan Health Medical Center (Kalispell) are the primary regional facilities; serious trauma is flown to Kalispell or Missoula.
- Life-jacket loaner stations. Free loaner PFDs are available at the West Glacier and Glacier Rim access points, Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Trip log
Spot wood or a changed rapid? Add it to the run page when you're back in coverage — riverbeta.app/flathead-mainstem/blankenship-to-teakettle — the next crew is counting on you.