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Favorite Montana/Wyoming Multi-Day Trips

23K views 33 replies 17 participants last post by  Fash 
#1 ·
I grew up in Montana day tripping, mostly on the Yellowstone and Stillwater; but never taking mult-day trips. This summer I will be traveling from Colorado back to Montana, visiting my family around July 4th in Big Sky, and I'm interested in possible multi-day trips around that area. I'm familiar with the Smith in Montana and realize that this river takes a permit, which can be difficult to get, especially at that time of the year. So, I looking for Buzzards' advice and recommendations for multi-day family trips in Montana and Wyoming. Suggestions :rolleyes:???
 
#2 ·
The South Fork of the Snake is a great flat water overnighter with great fishing. You could also do a 3-4 day non-wilderness but extremely scenic float on the Snake from Deadman's Bar in Grand Teton National Park to Sheep Gulch. Class III whitewater for the last eight miles.
 
#3 ·
You could also do a 3-4 day non-wilderness but extremely scenic float on the Snake from Deadman's Bar in Grand Teton National Park to Sheep Gulch. Class III whitewater for the last eight miles.
Iraq, this is the kind of trip I may be looking for. I will start pulling up details. Thanks for the direction.
 
#7 ·
If you are able to look at a little more rustic trip w/ fantastic views and good fishing in the 3/4 day agenda, a float down the North Fork of the Flathead from the Canadian border down is a bucket list trip. It also gets you out of the Jackson Hole to Bozone tourist rush at that time of year. No permit required!
Good luck in your planning...
 
#16 ·
The south fork (flatwater trip in very very remote area) and middle fork (nice rapids in a very very remote area) flathead would also be killer, but with significant logistics, flying into Middle Fork or horsepacking into the south fork. I can provide a bunch of info on logistics etc. for the South Fork trip, pm if needed.
 
#20 ·
Our favorite family trip is the North Fork of the Flathead. If you arrange it right you can stop at forest service cabins along the way and not even have to sleep out in Grizzly country. We went from Canada to Ford cabin, then to Ben Rover cabin and then got out at Coal Creek or Big Creek. You can camp at Big Creek and then go all the way to Blankenship. There's some class 3's after Big Creek so when the kids were little 3-7 we skipped that part. It is amazingly beautiful and very kid friendly. They beg to go every year.
 
#22 ·
I have done the North fork of the Flathead 3 times now & twice last year. It is a great float for a family and there is not much Grizzly activity. Bring some bear spray and be smart with your food. You can stay in State camp grounds which is safer but it takes away the wilderness feel of the trip. Plenty of great camping spots on the river. But you can only camp river right or on islands.
If you want a nice one day white water trip your last day, do the middle fork. you will love this float.
 
#24 ·
Well i have never heard of a wolf attacking a human in Montana as of yet.
Lets look at statistics. There have only been 10 fatal bear attacks in Glacier park in the last 100 years. So one each decade. You have a way better chance drowning in the river than getting eaten by a bear. Yes there are bears here. This guy is from Montana and probably knows that. Go have fun and be bear aware. It's a great trip!
 
#25 ·
Oh yeah, totally agree. Not trying to scare anyone off. I have just seen people do incredibly dumb stuff in bear country, literally the wrong thing at the wrong moment. Dirty camp, walking towards the bear to get a better pic, food in tent... You know.

Just know what you're doing up there was my point, thats all.

As for the wolves, that was just cool. I don't have any big bad wolf worries, but it always strikes me when i hear them... It tickles the caveman part of the brain.

Its beautiful up there, was thrilled (a word i rarely use) to be up there. I'll be back, for sure.
 
#26 ·
your right MM. People come here thinking its a petting zoo no doubt. The guy that started the tread was a Mt. boy and was my point i guess. If you come here be bear aware. Do some reading. There are lots of ways to get hurt in this beautiful wilderness.
And it truly is a wilderness.
I saw the Northern lights there one summer like never before. It was an amazing site.
The friends and scotch made it even better.
Hope to see you up there MM
Paddle on.
 
#27 ·
All the posts about the NF of the Flathead have created a place for this river on my bucket list of river trips. Unfortunately, I don't believe it will be a trip for this summer since travel that far north won't be in my plans. Regardless of when I float that river, I will use my back country sense related to thinking it is a petting zoo. Thanks again for everyone's trip wisdom and advise. Keep it coming...
 
#28 ·
black bears vs Grizzly

I have backpacked/camped in black bear country since I was a kid. I have respect for them and have had my share of encounters and felt confident that I could co-exist w/ them in the wilderness.
In 2007 I had a friend invite me to a 3 day fishing float on the NF Flathead. He had a friend w/ a cabin in Polebridge. The first morning I was there I could barely contain myself and got up before everyone else and went out to the river to get some fishing in before breakfast. When i came back, everyone asked where I had been. When I told them, the locals warned me about fishing alone and that a large grizzly had been seen in the area the day before.
Definitely a different bear environment than Colorado/California.
Never saw a bear the entire trip though...:(
 
#29 ·
One more Greater Yellowstone trip that I thought of is the North Fork of the Shoshone. Its a forty mile trip that I did as an overnighter but you could easily add an extra day. Its pretty easy floating, a few class IIIs and one or two rapids that probably push class IV. The scenery is beautiful even though it is largely roadside. Put in at Pahaska Teepee just outside of the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The takeout is at the upper end of Buffalo Bill Reservoir.
 
#30 ·
One more Greater Yellowstone trip that I thought of is the North Fork of the Shoshone. Its a forty mile trip that I did as an overnighter but you could easily add an extra day. Its pretty easy floating, a few class IIIs and one or two rapids that probably push class IV. The scenery is beautiful even though it is largely roadside. Put in at Pahaska Teepee just outside of the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The takeout is at the upper end of Buffalo Bill Reservoir.
This is the only run where I have seen a grizzily, 10 feet from the edge of the water as 3 cats floated by. My daughter guided on the Middle Fork of the Flathead for several years and would routinely see grizziles on their overnight trips. Have heard many great things about the North Fork run thru polebridge.
 
#34 ·
The "angry locals" part isn't 100% incorrect. Last Labor Day weekend six people who were apparently floating were arrested for reportedly shooting in the direction of other rafters. We were just down river and heard gunfire but didn't think too much of it at the time. Later, we saw all the law enforcement around and then heard about what happened when we got home after the weekend. Kinda scary. That being said, we go almost every year and love it.
 
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