The North Fork of the Flathead River originates in British Columbia, Canada, and flows 153 miles (246 Km) south through Montana in the United States. It is one of only four rivers in Montana to bear the designation of Wild and Scenic. Paddlers of all kinds can be found floating along its length, through some of the most scenic landscapes in North America.
As it flows south from the Canadian border it forms the western boundary of Glacier National Park. Fed primarily by snowmelt, the water tends to be cold and clear with few nutrients, which minimizes the number of large fish that anglers would normally seek. Just north of Kalispell, Montana it joins with the Middle and South Forks of the Flathead River and the combined streams flow into Flathead Lake. Leaving the lake at the southern end, the Flathead River joins the Clark Fork River and the Pend Orielle River and becomes a tributary of the Columbia.
The extremely sparse human population along the course of the North Fork of the Flathead River has kept it in a rather pristine condition. May it always remain so.
This photo was taken with a Canon EF17-40 mm f/4 USM lens zoomed to 31 mm on a Canon EOS 5D Mk III. The exposure was set to 1/60 sec at f/19 and ISO 400.