Kootenai National Forest
Montana
Nursed by a moist Pacific maritime climate found in few other places in the generally arid state of Montana, the Kootenai National Forest is lushly overgrown with trees. Fifteen species of conifers alone can be found here, including ponderosa, lodgepole, and juniper, as well as Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, larch, and grand fir. The tenacious whitebark pine clings to the high, rocky folds of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, while hushed cathedrals of giant hemlocks and western red cedars rise above the forest floor.
HoodooThe Kootenai, located in the mountainous terrain of extreme northwestern Montana, holds a variety of landscapes for explorers. The pathways that skirt the magnificent 8,000-foot peaks of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, as well as the striking collage of cliffs, spires, and canyons at Bull Lake and Marten Creek, provide impressive views. But first-time visitors to the Kootenai would be remiss if they didn't devote at least some of their time to unhurried ambles through its exquisite forests. For a sampling of stately ponderosa - the pine that John Muir said"gives forth the finest music to the winds" — drive the Tony Peak Road southeast of Libby or along Lower Bristow Creek on the western edge of Lake Koocanusa.
Hikers will find stands of alpine larch on Northwest Peak in the 19,000-acre Northwest Peaks Scenic Area, while grand old firs line the Fisher Mountain-Tepee Lake Trail. The gnarled whitebark pine greets walkers in the beautiful 15,700-acre Ten Lakes Scenic Area. And finally, for a taste of one of the grandest trees anywhere on the continent, head for the Ross Creek Cedar Grove.
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