The Kootenai National Forest is located in the extreme northwest corner of Montana, bordered on the north by Canada and on the west by Idaho. Ranges of high, craggy peaks mark the Forest, with Snowshoe Peak in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness marking the highest point at 8738 feet.
In the north-central part of the Forest, the land is more open, with gently rolling hills and plains lying in the shadows of the Whitefish Range.
Wildlife and bird life are abundant. 191 species of birds have been recorded. The Kootenai is heavily forested with a large selection of native trees.