Welcome to the Northern Region!

Adventure beckons

From steep mountains to rolling prairies, come discover the rich landscapes of the Northern Region!

Visit your Northern Region Forests and Grasslands

Photo: Rainbow at sunset from Patrol Mountain Lookout
Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest
by Samsara Chapman-Duffey

Northern Region Orders, Alerts, and Notices

The Northern Region manages 25 million acres of public lands across 5 states. Our 12 National Forests spread across North Idaho, Montana, and a sliver of northeastern Washington. The 4 National Grasslands of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands are in North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota. Come experience the best of your public lands!

  • Great American Outdoors Act

    Bridge timbers are stacked along side a gravel road in the mountains, with workers in hardhats cabling them for helicopter pickup.

    The GAOA is allowing us to invest in recreation infrastructure, public lands access, and land and water conservation.

  • Rent a Room with a View

    A white one-room fire lookout cabin sitting on a rocky mountain peak with a wide vista behind.

    The Northern Region is home to rental cabins and lookouts across Montana and Northern Idaho.  Which one will you visit next?

  • Interagency Recreation Passes

    Interagency recreation passes provide access to recreation sites managed by a number of Federal agencies.

  • Mushroom Harvesting

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

     The wildfires of 2021 in the Northern Region suggest the possibilitiy of a prolific mushroom crop in the spring of 2022.

  • Confronting the Wildfire Crisis

    Learn more about the 10-year strategy to address the wildfire epidemic across landscapes nationwide, including the Northern Region.

  • Work With Us

    There’s so much you can do in a Forest Service career! Our extraordinary diversity of employment occupations and locations makes it easy to find a position to suit your talents.

  • Shared Stewardship in the Northern Region

    Shared Stewardship is an invitation to States, Tribes, local governments, partners and stakeholders to set landscape-scale priorities, leverage resources, and work across boundaries to improve forest and watershed conditions, and protect communities. Learn about efforts in the Northern Region to work more deliberately with our neighbors and partners to expand forest restoration and treatments across boundaries, resulting in a more resilient landscape.