Big Fork River

River in northern Minnesota; length 258 km/160 mi. It is formed by the confluence of several rivers on the northern fringes of the Chippewa National Forest, and follows a generally northerly course past Big Falls to join the Rainy River at the Ontario border, 26 km/16 mi west-southwest of International Falls.

From its source to its mouth, the banks of the Big Fork River are lined with pine, spruce, and fragrant balsam, while on its upper reaches are fields of wild rice. A turbulent river now enjoyed by recreational canoeists, it was once a major commercial waterway used by American Indians and later fur trappers.