Bigfork Whitewater festival marks 50 years on the 'Wild Mile'
A kayaker navigates a section of the Wild Mile along the Swan River during the Expert Slalom event at the 47th annual Bigfork Whitewater Festival on Saturday, May 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Swan River will once again be alive near downtown Bigfork this Memorial Day weekend as the Bigfork Whitewater Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary, welcoming paddlers and spectators from across the country — and the world — for three days of races, music and community.
Held Friday to Sunday, the festival marks five decades of whitewater tradition on the “Wild Mile,” a scenic and challenging Class IV stretch of the Swan River that flows directly through the heart of Bigfork. It’s a rare venue where spectators can walk the Swan River Nature Trail and get a front-row view of kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders battling the rapids.
“This is the most spectator-friendly kayaking event in the world,” said longtime organizer Dave Meyers. “You can park in town, walk up the nature trail in 10 minutes and be watching some of the best whitewater action out there.”