Blackfoot River : Paddling & Rafting.gif)
Floating
the Blackfoot River? A Sea
Eagle Inflatable Kayak
is an ideal fishing boat for the Blackfoot. Its shallow draft
allows floating on all sections of the river, while its whitewater
capabilities will cut through all the rapids with ease.
Learn
more about Sea Eagle Inflatable Kayaks and Canoes
The Blackfoot River is one of the best floats in Montana.
Combining excellent and diverse scenery with a wide variety
of river conditions, any float on the Blackfoot River will
lead to a memorable experience.
 Access
along the river is excellent. The upper portion of the river
frequently flows through public lands. The lower portion of
the river flows through the Blackfoot River Recreation Corridor.
This corridor provides numerous official access sites. Additionally,
countless unofficial access sites are available off of Montana
Highway 200 and several back roads that parallel the river
on the other north side.
Floating and rafting
can begin on the Blackfoot River near the town of Lincoln,
more than 110 miles upstream from its confluence with the
Clark Fork.
The upper portion
of the Blackfoot River has primarily slow water. The river
is fairly narrow and flows through dense forests. Many logjams
can also be found along the river, especially in the vicinity
of Nevada Bridge, about 18 miles downstream from Lincoln.
Wildlife is abundant along this stretch of the Blackfoot River.
The Blackfoot River
then flows into a big, broad plain. The first of the many
rapids on the river is then encountered several miles above
Scott Brown Bridge. This rapid is short and is easily navigable
by rafters and floaters of intermediate skill.
Beginning at Scotty
Brown Bridge, the river enters the Blackfoot River Recreation
Corridor. For the first five miles, the river is marked by
a quick flow, twisty turns, but no whitewater.
 Beginning
at Sperry Grade Access Site, which is five miles downstream
from Scotty Brown Bridge, the whitewater section of the Blackfoot
River begins. For the next seven miles, the Blackfoot River
has numerous rapids, several of which are Class III. Due to
large waves and several small drops, this section of river
should not be run in a canoe. Beginners in rafts should also
be wary of running this stretch of the Blackfoot River as
well.
Below this whitewater
section, occasional Class II rapids can be found intermittently
down the remainder of the Blackfoot River, but should pose
no problems to alert floaters. For those traveling by canoe,
it is advisable to scout these rapids before running them,
as the severity of the rapids changes greatly with fluctuating
water levels.
The Blackfoot River
finally slows down a few miles above Bonner Dam. A required
portage, for those who wish to continue on down to the Clark
Fork, is required a half mile above the dam.
Selected River
Miles for the Blackfoot River
Listed below are
selected river miles for the Blackfoot River in Montana. Clicking
on any of the links (opens new window) will provide more detailed
information about each fishing access site (FAS).
Origin: 132
Highway 279 Bridge: 124
Lincoln: 110
Nevada Road Bridge: 92
Mineral Hills: 85
Aunt
Molly FAS: 70
Cedar
Meadows FAS: 64.4
River
Junction FAS: 52.5
Russell
Gates FAS: 40.1
Sunset
Hill FAS: 31.4
Roundup
FAS: 29
Ninemile
Prairie FAS: 25.1
Corricks
River Bend FAS: 23
Belmont
Creek FAS: 21.2
Red
Rocks FAS: 19
Thibodeau
FAS: 17.7
Sheep
Flats FAS: 16.7
Johnsrud
Park FAS: 12.6
K.
Ross Toole FAS: 9
Marco
Flats FAS: 3.4
Bonner Dam Takeout: 2
Confluence with Clark
Fork: 0
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