Flathead, Middle Fork

We paddled this section of the Middle Fork Flathead on the final day of a five-day packrafting trip from Granite Creek to Blankenship Bridge, camping the previous night just upstream of the Moccasin Creek Access toward the end of the Nyack Flats. Although flows were low at 730 cfs, there was still plenty of water to enjoy the run, and we encountered several outfitted rafting trips filled with guests having a great time. At this level, the whitewater was mostly Class II and III; Jaws and Pinball were not in, and guides we spoke to noted that those features only emerge at higher flows.

From Moccasin Creek it was about an hour of floating before reaching the first significant rapid, Tunnel, and the total run took us roughly 2.5 hours on the water. We stopped for lunch at a pleasant gravel beach on river right just below Pumphouse.

The run was scenic, with exceptional water quality and Glacier National Park forming the river-right shoreline. While the railroad hugs much of the river-left bank and its presence was noticeable, it did not overly detract from the experience.

From West Glacier we continued downstream onto the next run toward Blankenship Bridge.