Montana whitewater rafting, hiking.

     Combine Montana whitewater rafting and pristine wilderness hiking and you get one of the best all around river trips anywhere. The South Fork of the Flathead is one of the premier west slope cutthroat fisheries in the world. It also just happens to have one of the most unique and exciting whitewater rafting runs you will ever experience.   No wonder it's a river guide's favorite! Since the only access is by foot or horse, this beautiful drainage remote and wild.

     Your 8 days on the South Fork will begin with 4 days of spectacular hiking through the Scapegoat and Bob Marshall Wilderness Areas. You have the option of being a real do-it-yourselfer and backpacking, or letting the horses carry your gear so you can travel light. We will cover 6 to 10 miles a day through some very beautiful country. On most routes in there is only one day of uphill climbing.
Just when you feet are getting trail weary, we reach the cool clear waters of the South Fork.

Montana rafting
South Fork of the Flathead River

Hiking the Bob Marshall Wilderness

Montana Lake fishing
Big Salmon Lake

For the first two days the river trip will meander lazily through a broad valley. We will have lots of time to stop and fish for the abundant cutthroat (on one trip last summer, three people fishing the same hole caught 20 fish each in under an hour!). We will also take explore some of the beautiful Ponderosa parks that line the river. These flat benches have majestic Ponderosa Pines scattered across grassy fields that are often full of wildflowers.

                  Montana White water rafting
                    Meadow Creek Gorge

On the third day of the river trip, we enter Meadow Creek Gorge and the character of the river trip will change dramatically. For six miles the river crashes through a limestone gorge that creates a series of class III to V rapids that are a little different from most white water rafting. Its only one day of white water, buts its enough adrenaline for the whole trip! The gorge is so narrow that we use only paddle rafts on this river.

That night we will celebrate our river adventures around the campfire. The next morning we will have a casual river float out with some good fishing from the boats. We will take out mid-afternoon and drive back to Kalispell.