A 2.2-million-acre mountain forest along the Montana-Idaho-Canadian border, defined by deep river valleys and Pacific-influenced climate.
Kootenai National Forest
Kootenai National Forest is a vast national forest in the far northwestern corner of Montana and the northeastern tip of the Idaho panhandle, lying directly along the Canada-United States border. Covering about 2.2 million acres, it spans several mountain ranges including the Whitefish, Purcell, Bitterroot, Salish, and Cabinet ranges, with the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness forming one of its most prominent interior landscapes.
The forest is shaped by the Kootenai and Clark Fork river systems, which receive notably higher precipitation than the rest of Montana and lend the region a distinctly Pacific-influenced climate. Libby Dam on the Kootenai River has created the long, forested Lake Koocanusa reservoir, which stretches north into Canada, and a dense network of smaller rivers, lakes, and snow-fed valleys give the forest a deeply wilderness character.
Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Kootenai National Forest combines active timber management, conservation of large roadless areas, outdoor recreation, and watersheds that supply hydroelectric power, making it both a working forest and a major piece of the Northern Rockies' public lands network.
