North Fork Flathead · Multi-day trip
Canadian Border to Blankenship Bridge — full North Fork
The full 58-mile Wild & Scenic North Fork — Canadian border to the Middle Fork confluence. A 3–4 day wilderness-corridor expedition that strings together every named sub-segment in the drainage. AW publishes this whole reach as a single page (1004).
Is it running today?
- 1NO14,400 cfs
- 2NO14,400 cfs
- 3NO14,400 cfs
- 4OK14,400 cfs
Roll-up assumes the weakest-link rule — any stage outside its runnable range trips the whole trip. Click a stage for the full per-segment page with the live chart, rapids, and per-segment beta.
Will it be running?
Outlook · most-downstream gauge · USGS 12355500The prime band is the overlap of every stage's window — the flow range where the whole trip is in shape — and the trip-window verdict gates on the stage that needs the most water (1,500 cfs). Readings are from the most-downstream gauge; the upstream wilderness reaches run lower.
- Too low
- Low
- Prime
- High
- Too high
The trip
American Whitewater treats the whole 58-mile North Fork as one reach because — although it's commonly broken into day-trip sub-segments — running the entire thing end-to-end is its own thing. Approach is via the unpaved Outside North Fork Road (CR 486) from Columbia Falls — 58 mi north to the closed Flathead/Trail Creek border station. Character changes as you descend: the upper third is Class I-II wilderness float through grizzly country, the middle is more of the same with the Polebridge resupply midway, the lower third tightens into the canyon with the Class III features, and the final 3.8 mi is a short cruise to the take-out. See each stage page below for the per-segment detail (rapids, access notes, gauge interpretation).
Planning
Season. June through early August. Peak flows early June; low water and gravel-bar dragging by August.
Permits & regs. Camping on river-left (Glacier National Park) requires a backcountry permit from the Apgar backcountry office, including a mandatory bear-aware video. River-right is Flathead National Forest — dispersed camping allowed. Wild & Scenic Corridor regulations apply throughout: PFDs, IGBC-approved bear-resistant food storage, solid human waste containment, fire pan or blanket.
Stages
Each stage is its own page with rapids, live flow chart, hazards, and community beta. Use those for the granular detail — this page is the trip-level overview.
Upper North Fork wilderness float. Not whitewater — Class I-II with numerous log jams and tight turns through grizzly country. Multi-day put-in for the longer 58-mi North Fork descent, or a 2–3 day standalone trip.
- Stage 2Polebridge to Big Creek ↗
Long scenic float, not whitewater. Glacier NP boundary on river-left. Best as part of a multi-day. Wood hazards are the main concern.
- Stage 3Big Creek to Glacier Rim ↗
Most popular North Fork run. Canyon section below the Camas Creek road. Burn-scar landscape from 2001/2003 fires. Several Class III features. Several good surf waves at medium-low flows.
Short, mellow, family-friendly. Ends at the confluence with the Middle Fork.