RIVERBETA · field sheet
Big Creek to Glacier Rim
North Fork Flathead
ClassII-III
Length11.5 mi
Gradient18 ft/mi
On-water≈ 3 hrs
SeasonMay–August
FlowGO
USGS 12355500 · North Fork Flathead River near Columbia Falls MT
2,930cfs
≈40th percentile — about normal for the date · median ~3,300 cfs
Prime range 1,500–8,000 cfs
Flow at put-in today: cfs
On the water
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms · This Afternoon
Water62°F
Air90°F
Precip15%
Wind1 mph SE
Sunrise5:52 AM
Sunset9:34 PM
GO Running well at 2,930 CFS. · Conditions as of Jul 16, 2026, 1:45 PM. Printed snapshot generated Jul 16, 2026, 2:14 PM— conditions change, wood moves, levels swing. Verify the gauge and scout anything you can't read from upstream.
Mile by mile
- 1RM 7.3Upper Fool HenIII About 8 miles below Big Creek. A bit longer than expected, with ugly-looking hydraulics in two places on river-left — easily avoided by staying in the middle as the river gradually bends right (AW trip report, Billy M, Jun 2025, 3,200 cfs).
- 2RM 6.8Lower Fool HenIII Just below Upper Fool Hen, approximately 3.5 miles above Glacier Rim. Can be run either side of the exposed boulder mid-river; the left line is trickier because of a strong recirculating eddy directly behind the rock (AW trip report, Billy M, Jun 2025, 3,200 cfs).
- 3RM 4.3The Ledge (unnamed)III+ ⚠️ Serious hazard — scout it. A pour-over a mile or so above Glacier Rim that reaches from the right bank to mid-channel, known locally as "the Shelf." Locals give a reliable landmark: it sits about a quarter mile past the Canyon Creek culvert on river-right — and that culvert is right where the access-road pavement turns to gravel, so you can scout the drop from the road beforehand. It looks benign from upstream and is easy to misjudge — a recent AW trip report (Billy M, Jun 2025) notes the upstream view is partially obstructed by a small wave about 20 ft before the drop. The line is river-left — stay hard left to skirt the hole. The river-left side channel can look passable but is often shallow or wood-blocked. American Whitewater calls the drop a "dangerous flipper but easy to avoid" by staying left — but it flips boats regularly and has killed: a 44-year-old rafter not wearing a PFD drowned here on July 14, 2017 (Flathead Beacon). Wear your life jacket, scout from the left bank, and do not chase a flipped boat into the hydraulic.
⚠ Wood & hazard reports
- Jun 10, 2026 — Big Creek to Glacier Rim: no strainers that aren't super obvious, channels clear. (Melodie)
- May 29, 2026 · 12,000 cfs — Late May 2026, ~12,000 cfs: the Shelf (the "charcoal" rapid — the same drop locals also call the North Fork Ledge) runs as a nice wave train at this level, but a sweeper remains river-left, below the rapid on the corner. Avoid it. Reported as still in place this season. (Jimmy)
Pput-in · Big CreekTtake-out · Glacier Rim#numbered rapids — see mile by mile
Getting there & back
Put-in
Big Creek — Forest Service campground on river-right just after the Big Creek confluence.
Take-out
Glacier Rim — Good developed access below the Fool Hen rapids and the unnamed ledge hazard. Most popular take-out on the lower North Fork.
Shuttle (take-out → put-in): 8.4 mi · ≈ 20 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)
- 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
Date
Party / boats
On the water
Off the water
Flow at launch
Shuttle / keys
Wood, hazards & notes
Spot wood or a changed rapid? Add it to the run page when you're back in coverage — riverbeta.app/north-fork-flathead/big-creek-to-glacier-rim — the next crew is counting on you.