Foot Bridge to Road Bridge (Hike In)

The North Fork of the Blackfoot is a Missoula area creeking staple for those willing to hike. It offers kayakers and packrafters a long season, excellent whitewater and scenery, and a character that changes dramatically with flows.  At low flows (200-650) it offers really nice Class III/IV creek boating and ideal advanced packrafting. At medium flows (650-1200) The North Fork is creeky but powerful class IV with one V-. Flows over 1,200 result in a big water feel and it becomes a big fast wave train with some vital hole and wood dodging.  Lower water runs should watch out for abundant/excessive fly fishing traffic, who are often not on the lookout for boats. As you hike up, the whitewater ends 1/3 of a mile above the pack bridge.  The N Fork from there to the next pack bridge just above the Dry Fork confluence is class II-.  The steep (~700 feet/mile) gorge below North Fork Falls is V/V+ and can be accessed via the steep and loose gully on the north side, just west of the side trail to the fall lookout. The N Fork above the falls is floatable all the way to Carmichael in the late spring and early summer, and offers fast and nervous floating with lots of wood, willows, and a few beefy bedrock drops.