Kootenai National Forest

48°11′N 115°28′W / 48.183°N 115.467°W / 48.183; -115.467Area2,200,000 acres (8,900 km²)Established1907Governing bodyU.S. Forest ServiceWebsiteKootenai National Forest

The Kootenai National Forest is a national forest located in the far northwestern section of Montana and the northeasternmost lands in the Idaho panhandle in the United States, along the Canada–US border. Of the 2.2 million acres (8,900 km²) administered by the forest, less than 3 percent is located in the state of Idaho. Forest headquarters are located in Libby, Montana. There are local ranger district offices in Eureka, Fortine, Libby, Trout Creek, and Troy, Montana.^[1] About 53 percent of the 94,272-acre (381.51 km²) Cabinet Mountains Wilderness is located within the forest, with the balance lying in neighboring Kaniksu National Forest.^[2]

Snowshoe Peak in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, at 8,738 feet (2,663 m), is the highest peak within the forest. Mountain ranges included in the forest include the Whitefish, Purcell, Bitterroot, Salish, and Cabinet ranges.

The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail traverses the Forest. More than 90 miles (140 km) of the 1,200-mile (1,900 km) trail are within the Kootenai.

The Kootenai and the Clark Fork rivers are the major rivers and are fed by abundant rainfall that is more than double that amount found elsewhere in Montana. Three major hydroelectric dams exist in the Kootenai National Forest. Libby Dam on the Kootenai River creates a 90-mile (140 km)-long lake known as Lake Koocanusa (a play on Kootenai-Canada-United States of America), which extends into Canada. The shores of the lake are all forested with no private property easements. The lowest elevation in Montana is where the Kootenai River leaves the state, 1,832 feet (558 m) above sea level. Other rivers in the forest include the Yaak, Fisher, Tobacco and Vermillion, with water flowing from over 100 lakes.

The climate of the Kootenai has been described as "modified Pacific maritime" in character, meaning that compared to the remainder of Montana, this area's climate resembles that found along the Pacific coast. The character becomes "modified" by occasional intrusions of arctic air masses, more common elsewhere in Montana, which can bring winter temperatures down to −30 °F (−34 °C). Winters also feature heavy snowfalls in the mountains.

Access into the forest is via U.S. Highway 2, U.S. Highway 93, and Montana State Highways 37, 56, 200, and 508.

The national forest is located overwhelmingly (almost 95 percent) in Lincoln County, Montana, but extends into neighboring counties. In descending order of forestland area, they are Flathead County in Montana, Bonner and Boundary counties in Idaho, and Sanders County in Montana.

See also

• Gibralter Fire
• List of forests in Montana

References

External links

Federal

National parks	Glacier Yellowstone
National monuments	Little Bighorn Battlefield Pompeys Pillar (BLM) Upper Missouri River Breaks (BLM)
National battlefield	Big Hole
National historical parks and historic sites	Grant–Kohrs Ranch NHS Nez Perce NHP
National historic and scenic trails	Lewis and Clark NHT Nez Perce NHT Continental Divide NST Pacific Northwest NST
National recreation area	Bighorn Canyon
National Wildlife Refuges	Benton Lake Black Coulee Bowdoin Charles M. Russell Creedman Coulee Grass Lake Hailstone Hewitt Lake Lake Mason Lake Thibadeau Lamesteer Lee Metcalf Lost Trail Medicine Lake Ninepipe Pablo Red Rock Lakes Swan River UL Bend War Horse
National Forests	Beaverhead–Deerlodge Bitterroot Custer Flathead Gallatin Helena Kootenai Lewis and Clark Lolo
National Wilderness	Absaroka–Beartooth Anaconda–Pintler Bear Trap Canyon Bob Marshall Cabinet Mountains Gates of the Mountains Great Bear Lee Metcalf Medicine Lake Mission Mountains Rattlesnake Red Rock Lakes Scapegoat Selway–Bitterroot UL Bend Welcome Creek
National wild and scenic rivers	East Rosebud Creek Flathead Missouri

State

State parks	Ackley Lake Anaconda Smoke Stack Bannack Beaverhead Rock Beavertail Hill Big Arm Black Sandy Brush Lake Chief Plenty Coups Clark's Lookout Cooney Council Grove Elkhorn Finley First Peoples Buffalo Jump Fort Owen Frenchtown Pond Giant Springs Granite Ghost Town Greycliff Prairie Dog Town Hell Creek Lake Elmo Lake Mary Ronan Lewis and Clark Caverns Logan Lone Pine Lost Creek Madison Buffalo Jump Makoshika Medicine Rocks Missouri Headwaters Painted Rocks Parker Homestead Pictograph Cave Pirogue Island Placid Lake Rosebud Battlefield Salmon Lake Sluice Boxes Smith River Somers Beach Spring Meadow Lake Thompson Falls Tongue River Reservoir Tower Rock Travelers' Rest Wayfarers West Shore Whitefish Lake Wild Horse Island Yellow Bay
State forests	Clearwater Coal Creek Lincoln Lubrecht Experimental Stillwater Sula Swan River Thompson River
Wildlife Management Areas	Amelia Island Aunt Molly Badlands Beartooth Beckman Big Lake Blackfoot-Clearwater Blackleaf Blue Eyed Nellie Bowdoin Buffalo Head Park Bull River Calf Creek Canyon Creek Canyon Ferry Dodson Creek Dodson Dam Dome Mountain Ear Mountain Elk Island F Island Flathead Lake Flathead River Fleecer Mountain Fox Lake Freezout Lake Fresno Reservoir Fresno Tailwater Gallatin Garrity Mountain Grant Marsh Gravelly-Blacktail Haymaker Hinsdale Horseshoe Lake Howard Valley Isaac Homestead Judith River Kootenai/Falls Kootenai/West Kootenai/Woods Ranch Lake Helena Lost Creek Lower Stillwater Lake Madison-Bear Creek Madison-Wall Creek Milk River Mount Haggin Mount Jumbo Mount Silcox Nevada Lake Ninepipe North Swan Valley CE Pablo Ray Kuhns Robb-Ledford Rookery Roundhom Sanders Seven Sisters Silver Gate Silver Run Smith River Sun River Swan Lake Thompson-Fisher CE Three Mile Threemile Vandalia War Dance Island Warm Springs

Other

Nonprofit	American Prairie
Tribal	CSKT Bison Range