50 Wild Places: Celebrating Montana's Outdoors

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A10 – Missoulian, Monday, June 23, 2014

North Fork of the Flathead River

ROB CHANEY/Missoulian

Floaters will find lots of mountain scenery, feisty cutthroat trout and good public campsites along the North Fork of the Flathead River, which borders Glacier National Park from the Canadian line to Columbia Falls.

Floaters experience rare side of Glacier By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian

have bear-resistant containers for all food or risk a hefty fine. The U.S.-Canadian border to OLEBRIDGE – It doesn’t Ford makes a leisurely 14-mile have to be an “official” day float. Polebridge sits wilderness for your another 11 miles downstream, destination to provide a wild with more campgrounds and Montana experience. hostels surrounding the popular Federally designated wild and Polebridge Mercantile. After scenic rivers run alongside many that, Big Creek Campground wilderness areas. The Flathead waits just above Fool Hen drainage provides three such Rapids, and anyone getting past north of Columbia Falls flips waterways. that can float right into plenty of inexperienced boaters, The Flathead River’s Columbia Falls. only two other Class II rapids branches include 219 miles of The float features views of complicate the waters farther wild, scenic or recreational Glacier’s infrequently seen and north. passage. The Middle and South rarely visited northwest The river’s west bank passes forks originate in the Bob Livingston Range. The river also a mix of private and U.S. Forest Marshall Wilderness Complex. wanders through several Service land. Glacier Park Hungry Horse Reservoir sections of old forest-fire scars, manages the whole east bank, drowned almost half of the with thickets of skeleton trees and requires backcountry South Fork, but its upper filling the view. And it holds lots reaches still qualify for wild and permits to camp there. The of small but gullible cutthroat scenic designation. The Middle passes cost $5 per person, and trout. require users to bring a bearFork has some of northwest The toughest part of a North resistant cooler, fire pan and Montana’s fiercest whitewater. personal waste removal system. Fork Flathead float may be the The North Fork is generally The Forest Service has several shuttle ride up the unpaved considered the main stem of the popular stopping points, North Fork Road. Don’t plan on Flathead, and originates in including the Ford Campground making up lost time on this British Columbia. Its entire that features a rentable cabin, as road, or you’ll need an 58-mile length along Glacier well as tent sites. Campers must alignment-suspension repair National Park’s western border has wild and scenic designation. set up below the high-water line job that will kill most of the joy While Fool Hen Rapids just along private property, and must this river valley offers.

P

Location: Western border of Glacier National Park north of Columbia Falls Distance/Duration: Single or multi-day float trip on 58 miles of river Difficulty: Moderate boating skills required

KEN BARNEDT/Missoulian

AUGUST 21 ST -23 RD , 2014 RODEO PERFORMANCE AT

6:30 DAILY POLSON FAIRGROUNDS POLSON, MT

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES BY:

Thursday August 21, 2014

Copper Mountain Band

Friday August 22, 2014

8:00pm Saturday August 23, 2014

RESORT CASINO

Armond Duck Chief

Immediately following the Rodeo at the Short-Go Saloon

Intermission

PRESENTED BY THE CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES AND THE BEST WESTERN KWATAQNUK RESORT AND CASINO


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