Kootenai National Forest
Kootenai National Forest is located in Northwestern Montana near Eureka a town in Lincoln County and near Libby, a city and county seat of Lincoln County. The forest encompasses a total area of about 2.2 million acres of land. To access the national forest, you can use several routes including US 2, US 93, MT 37, MT 56, MT 200, and MT 508. The national forest was established in 1907 and is today governed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The Kootenai National Forest is rich in geological features including sections of five mountain ranges including Purcell Mountains, Salish Mountains, Cabinet Mountains Bitterroot Range, and Whitefish Range. There are also several water bodies in the forest including the Kootenai and Clark Fork rivers and over 100 lakes ranging from small alpine lakes to the large 1,240-acre McGregor Lake.
Some of the other notable lakes and reservoirs in the national forest include Noxon reservoirs, Cabinet Gorge, and Lake Koocanusa. Besides the attractions mentioned above, Kootenai National Forest also lures visitors who love outdoor recreational activities like hunting, fishing, boating, camping, swimming, water skiing, horseback riding, hiking, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowmobiling, rock climbing, bicycling, and gold panning.
Several amenities in the Kootenai National Forest that can facilitate these activities including trails, 39 developed campgrounds, six rental cabins and lookout towers, scenic drives, and picnic sites. Your dogs will be allowed into the forest although keeping your dog under control and well-behaved at all times is critically important.
In fact, it is required that you keep your dog on a leash that is no longer than six feet long or in a secured enclosure. You are also expected to always clean up after your dog and get rid of the poop in the right designated areas. Furthermore, you should know that not all areas of the forest are accessible to your dog. As such, you should find out the areas of the national forest that you can and cannot visit.
