RIVERBETA · pocket sheet
Big Creek to Glacier Rim
North Fork Flathead · II-III · 11.5 mi · 18 ft/mi · ≈3 hrs · May–August
GO2,930 cfs
Mile by mile
- 1Upper Fool HenIII · RM 7.3 — 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).
- 2Lower Fool HenIII · RM 6.8 — 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).
- 3The Ledge (unnamed)III+ · RM 4.3⚠ scout — 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. … cont. on back →
⚠ Wood & hazards
- 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)
Emergency
- 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.
- Nearest hospitals. Logan Health Whitefish and Logan Health Medical Center (Kalispell) are the primary regional facilities; serious trauma is flown to Kalispell or Missoula.
Field notes
P Big CreekT Glacier Rimshuttle 8.4 mi · ≈20 min
Last 7 days · USGS 12355500
Mile by mile — continued
- 3 The Ledge (unnamed)III+ · RM 4.3 (cont.) — … 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.
Field notes
USGS 12355500 · Conditions as of Jul 16, 2026, 2:45 PM · Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, 90°F. Printed Jul 16, 2026, 3:17 PM— levels swing, wood moves. Verify the gauge and scout anything you can't read from upstream.