Swan,

Bigfork Dam to Flathead R. (The Wild Mile)

Usual Difficulty	III-IV (may vary with level)
Length	1.25 Miles
Avg. Gradient	100 fpm
Max Gradient	100 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
Swan River near Bigfork, MT
usgs-12370000	800 - 4000 cfs	III-IV	03h09m	470 cfs (rc= -0.1 )

River Description

Photo of Dan Gavere at the Bigfork Whitewater Festival courtesy of, and copyright by, Randy Clark.

WOW!! This is it!! The "Mad Mile" !! Home of the Bigfork Whitewater festival held at the end of May.

Locals get to run this as early as the first part of April, depending on snow melt. Runnout extends longer than most Montana Rivers, thanks to Swan Lake, which feeds out warm water into July most years.

If you are new to the mile, be sure to scout the "Big Drop" about a hundred yards from the putin.