West Glacier to Blankenship Bridge
NO Very low at 714 CFS — boney and likely unrunnable. · Conditions as of Sep 1, 2026, 1:45 AM. Printed snapshot generated Sep 1, 2026, 2:24 AM— conditions change, wood moves, levels swing. Verify the gauge and scout anything you can't read from upstream.
Mile by mile
- 1RM 14.1Devil's ElbowIII A few hundred yards downstream of the jump rock at the McDonald Creek confluence. Enter center-right and work right to avoid flippy rocks at the end on river-left of the turn. The only significant rapid on this run.
Getting there & back
Put-in
West Glacier — Large cobble-bar take-out off River Bend Drive on river left. Higher-clearance vehicle recommended — passenger cars can bottom out on river cobbles. Heavy outfitter use; parking lot for trailers. Do not park on the beach. Private property adjoins — respect neighbors. Hand-carry craft can also exit upstream at the historic Belton Bridge via a short steep trail.
Take-out
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.
Shuttle (take-out → put-in): 10.6 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. 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/west-glacier-to-blankenship — the next crew is counting on you.