Paola Access to Moccasin Creek
OK Low at 714 CFS — runnable but boney. · Conditions as of Sep 1, 2026, 1:45 AM. Printed snapshot generated Sep 1, 2026, 2:26 AM— conditions change, wood moves, levels swing. Verify the gauge and scout anything you can't read from upstream.
Mile by mile
- 1RM 37.79Brown's HoleIII Most notable rapid on the Paola-to-Cascadilla stretch (American Whitewater). Minimal at low summer flows; brief whitewater challenge at higher flows. Often referenced in local beta as a feature of the upper Middle Fork canyon.
Getting there & back
Put-in
Paola Access — Flathead National Forest river access (Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District) on river-left where Paola Creek joins the Middle Fork — about 45 mi east of Hungry Horse on US Highway 2. Designated parking, vault toilet, native-surface ramp. Day-use only, no fees. Wild & Scenic Corridor regulations apply (solid human waste containment + fire pan/blanket required; 3-night camping limit). Used as the take-out for Bear Creek → Paola and the put-in for the Paola → Moccasin run.
Take-out
Cascadilla Access — Flathead National Forest river access (Cascadilla Flat) about 33 mi east of Hungry Horse on US Highway 2. Designated parking, vault toilet, concrete ramp. Day-use only, no fees, 3-night camping limit, Wild & Scenic regulations. AW frames Cascadilla as the standard end-of-day takeout from Paola — the more practical alternative to paddling all the way to Moccasin Creek, which is hard to find from the river.
Shuttle (take-out → put-in): 9 mi · ≈ 10 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. 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/middle-fork-flathead/paola-to-moccasin — the next crew is counting on you.