Welcome to the Kootenai National Forest

 
Grahpic of a brown Forest Service signboard with white text stating Kootenai National Forest U.S. Department of Agriculture

Come and Explore...

Encompassing the rugged beauty of the Rocky Mountains of Northwest Montana, the Kootenai provides tremendous opportunity for exploration!

About the Forest

Summer Destinations

  • Kootenai Falls and Swinging Bridge

    Photo thumbnail showing suspended bridge over river

  • Ross Creek Cedars

    Photo thumbnail showing giant cedar trees up close

  • Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway

    Photo thumbnail showing Koocanusa reservoir body of water from a distance on a mountain top

  • Ten Lakes Scenic Area

    Photo thumbnail showing trees with lake in background

  • Stone Hill Rock Climbing

    Photo thumbnail showing rock cliff faces amidst trees

  • Cabinet Mountains Wilderness

    Photo thumbnail showing A-Peak mountain in the distance with greenery in the foreground

Latest Information

  • U.S. Forest Service - Kootenai National Forest
    Keep up with the latest on the Kootenai on our Facebook page. Click the + sign (above) to expand the section and view the Kootenai NF Facebook Feed or go directly to our Facebook page.

  • Mushroom Harvesting 2024

    Three tan mushrooms with wrinkly oblong heads grow in a group from the forest floor.

    For the 2024 season the Kootenai will only be offering one type of mushroom harvesting permit; Personal Use Free. Individuals may also harvest mushrooms at Incidental Use levels without a permit. For more information on mushroom picking, obtaining a permit, and incidental use, please use the following links.

  • Trojan Defense Project

    Photo from a mountain hillside with vegetation in the foreground and mountains in the distance.

    The Trojan Defense Fuels Reduction Project is located just outside the beautiful town of Troy, Montana and located within the Wildfire Crisis Strategy – Kootenai Complex and the Lincoln County Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) which was designated to treat hazardous fuels surrounding the community. This project is a great example of linking treatments across land ownership and working together with our partners to reduce wildfire risk to communities.

  • Kootenai Complex Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscape

    A small scale map of western Montana and Northern Idaho shows the Kootenai Complex and Nez Perce-Clearwater-Lower Salmon WCS Landscapes and the total 33 firesheds identified in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy in the Northern Region, 9 of which are in the designated landscapes.

    In April 2022, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack designated 10 fire prone landscapes across the Western United States as initial priorities for implementing the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. This strategy outlines dramatic action that must be taken to treat hazardous fuels and reduce the risk of wildfire to communities, infrastructure, and municipal watersheds. On the Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle National Forests, The Kootenai Complex was included in the initial landscape designation and plans to treat nearly 45,000 acres in 3 priority firesheds by 2026.

  • Great American Outdoors Act

    Looking out the windows of a firelookout at snow dusted peaks beyond.

    The Great American Outdoors Act gave the USDA Forest Service new opportunities to deliver benefits to the American public through major investments in recreation infrastructure, public lands access, and land and water conservation. These investments will contribute to economic growth and job creation in rural America.

Interested in Receiving Forest Project Notifications?

For each new project on the Kootenai National Forest after July 10, 2023 you can sign up to receive project updates automatically using the signup form below.

Sign up for Email Updates

To sign up for email updates on forest projects or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your contact information below.

Highlights

Features

Food Storage Requirements on the Kootenai National Forest

Animal resistant food container

A food storage order signed in April, 2022 requires food storage and garbage practice across the Forest to reduce the potential for human-wildlife encounters.

View Feature

View All Features