Blackfoot River (Montana)
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The Blackfoot River, sometimes called the Big Blackfoot River to distinguish it from the Little Blackfoot River, begins in western Montana 10 miles northeast of the town of Lincoln, then flows westward until it enters the Clark Fork River 5 miles east of the city of Missoula at the town of Milltown. The Blackfoot is renowned for its fly fishing and was the principle fishing location for the book and movie A River Runs Through It. The Blackfoot is a fast, cold river with many deep spots, making it prime habitat for several varieties of trout, and is excellent for canoeing and rafting with rapids up to category 3.
MT Highway 200 runs parallel to the Blackfoot River from McNamara to Milltown. The highway is subject to hazardous driving conditions in the winter, particularly black ice.
The canyon the river lies in and the valleys below were formed by what geologists refer to as Missoula Floods--the result of an enormous break of an ice jam, draining a gigantic lake.