Kootenai
Falls & Gorge

| Difficulty | I-IV |
| Length | 1.8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Kootenai River Bl Libby Dam Nr Libby Mt |
| Flow Rate as of 40 minutes | 9070 cfsrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 2, 2023 |
Kootenai Falls and the gorge below are a spectacular big-water paddling run with many lines depending on flows including several waterfalls, a large surf wave, some big-water lines, and some impressive whirlpools. This is all set in a very scenic gorge made all the more impressive by the gleaming blue-green water. The river is nearly always runnable, but is renown for its ideal flows in late summer and fall. While the river upstream and downstream of the falls and gorge offers some scenic paddling, these sections are very different from the whitewater run in the middle. The run is in a protected area with trails, so park and explore on foot before paddling.
This run goes anywhere bellow about 24,000 cfs, above which it becomes just a bunch of large eddy lines and boils. The easiest level is between 8,000 and 10,000 for river running (class IV pool drop). Levels below 8,000 become slightly more technical but still are not that bad. With higher water than 10,000 the river becomes much more continuous.
PLAY:
WATERFALLS: There are several different waterfall lines on the main falls. Going from river left to right you have:

This is the classic 20 footer. Too far left and you'll risk a hard landing. Too far right and the hole is more intimidating.

A sweet little waterfall that surely has a name. At lower flows run far right.
Mar 27, 2023
The page shows 5,000 CFS being the cutoff as being too low, but I have been paddling it recently at 4,000 CFS as everything else in the area is still frozen in. While it does not have the zest of high-water Kootenai, I would say it is well worth it if you are in the area and fixing for a run. Headbanger becomes more technical and requires some maneuvering around rocks at the lead-in but runs just fine. I've attached a youtube video for reference.
Sep 2, 2013
The river left line is almost completely dry at this level. But a chute opens up that runs more or less parallel to the lip of the far left falls and drops over into the center falls pool. The height is probably around 5-7 feet shorter than the main center falls. At the bottom of this drop, it looks like a shallow ledge on the left, but the pool center and right are deep. Just out of frame to the left is a big 8ft pourover that has a nasty hole but you can pull out if you choose not to run it.
Aug 7, 2005
The line was on the river left side of the falls.
River left side of the falls.