Flathead National Forest · Montana

East Side South Fork

23 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 126 · trail class 3 · typical grade 5-8% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 47.5079, -113.2370 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Youngs Danaher Backcountry Access the Forest Service's write-up

The most popular place to start a backcountry South Fork float trip is at the confluence of the Young’s and Danaher rivers. The best way to access the confluence is from the Owl Creek trailhead in the Swan Valley or the Lodgepole trailhead out of Ovando, Mt. The Owl Creek trailhead is located on Hwy 83 approximately 15 miles south of the town of Condon, it is a 29 mile trip on foot or horseback to reach the confluence. The Lodgepole trailhead is approximately 12 miles north of the town of Ovando, Mt. off of Hwy 200, it is a 22 mile trip on foot or horseback. The takeout for float trips on the Upper South Fork is the Mid Creek takeout about 38 miles from the confluence. The entirety of this section of river is within the wilderness boundary so wilderness rules apply, please consult the South Fork section of the Three Forks of the Flathead River Guide in the quick links section.

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Flathead National Forest

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.