Bear Creek to Essex
Montana – US
- Class
- II to III+
- Length
- 4.71 Mile(s)
- Gradient
- 24.59 FPM
- Put-in elevation
- 3,862 Feet
- Take-out elevation
- 3,747 Feet
- Typical season
- April to September
Current Flow
4,220 CFS
Gauge height: 3.84 FT
Reading from Jul 10, 2026 9:45 PM
▼ -10.83/hr (12h) ▼ -5.42/hr (24h)
Hit some laps
- Primary gauge
- M F Flathead River near West Glacier MT Gauge detail & alternatives Live gauge ↗ NOAA river forecast ↗
Recommended levels
| Minimum | 1,000 |
| Average | 6,000 |
| Maximum | 10,000 |
Recommended use
- Kayaking
- Rafting
- Canoeing
- SUP
- Packrafting
- Fishing
Struck-through craft are not recommended for this run.
Flow history — last 6 days
No gauge history recorded in the last 6 days.
Photos
Description
This is a scenic run that follows Highway 2. This is a good stretch of river to extend the upper stretch or the stretch to Mocasin Creek. At higher flows this run can get pushy with lot's of continous waves throughout.
The most technical section is truck rapid where the river drops through a small S-Turn. This rapid is about half way between bear creek and essex. Boulders are strewn throughout the rapid so pick your line carefully. The last time I ran it, it was during flood stage and you entered right and pulled hard left to avoid the rocks and the bottom of the S-Turn.
This run had a few clean boofs and couple good surf waves. Bring the playboat!
Rapids
| # | Rapid | Class | Recommended flow | Description | Scout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bear Creek Rapid | II to III | 1,000–10,000 | A rapid exists below the bear creak putin. |
Scout from the putin or road |
| 2 | Staircase Rapid | III- to III+ | 1,000–10,000 | The river makes a left hand turn and staircase rapid follows |
|
| 3 | Goatlick Rapid | III- to III | 1,000–10,000 |
Access
| Type | Name | Elevation | Camping | Water | Boat ramp | Vehicle access | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Put-In | Bear Creak | 3,862 Feet | No | No | No | All Vehicles | Where the Middle Fork of the Flathead first meets up with Highway 2, the Bear Creek confluence is right here as well. There is a pull out and parking lot south of the Highway. You can put in or take out here for different middle fork options. There is a raft launch slide into the river here because of the steep bank. Kayakers can easily walk down and put in from the parking lot. |
| Take-Out | Essex | 3,747 Feet | No | No | Yes | All Vehicles | Just south of Essex on Highway 2 there is ramp access where the Highway crosses the river. On the north side of the bridge is a pulloff that heads down to the river. |
Camps
No river camps added yet.
Permit
No permit is required, or permit info hasn't been added yet.
Fishing
No fish species have been associated with this run yet.
External Links & Resources
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Community Run Notes
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