[3][4] The forest encompasses a mountainous area consisting of the Kettle River and Selkirk mountain ranges, and the upper reaches of the Columbia River.

[5] In descending order of forestland area it is located in parts of Ferry, Pend Oreille, Okanogan, Stevens counties.

With the inclusion of the Tonasket Ranger District, portions of the Pasayten Wilderness are within the forest.

Wildlife include grizzly and black bears, wolf packs, bighorn sheep, cougars, bald eagles, Canada lynx, moose, beavers, loons, and up until recently, the last remaining herd of caribou[6] in the lower 48 US states.

It enters the forest on the east side within the Salmo-Priest Wilderness, crosses the Pend Oreille River at Boundary Dam, passes through Leadpoint and Northport, then traverses the Kettle Range and exits the Colville near Republic.