Blackfoot River (Montana)

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The Blackfoot River two miles east of Lincoln, Montana.

The Blackfoot River, sometimes called the Big Blackfoot River to distinguish it from the Little Blackfoot River, is a snow-fed and spring-fed river in western Montana. The Blackfoot River begins in Lewis and Clark County at the continental divide, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of the town of Lincoln (4536 feet, 1382 m). The river's headwaters are between Rogers Pass (5610 ft, 1710 m) to the north and Stemple Pass (6376 ft, 1943 m) to the south. It flows westward through the town of Milltown and enters the Clark Fork River approximately five miles (8 km) east of the city of Missoula (3210 ft, 978 m).

The Blackfoot River is renowned for its recreational opportunities, most notably fly fishing, but also rafting, canoeing, and inner tubing. The Blackfoot is a fast, cold river with many deep spots, making it prime habitat for several varieties of trout.

Montana Highway 200 runs parallel to the Blackfoot River from McNamara to Milltown. The highway is subject to hazardous driving conditions in the winter, particularly due to black ice. This road crosses Rogers Pass on the continental divide.

The river's canyon and the valleys were formed by the Missoula Floods, cataclysmic glacial lake outburst floods which occurred at the end of the last ice age.

The river is featured the 1976 novella A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean, as well as the 1992 film starring Brad Pitt, directed by Robert Redford.