South of Red Lodge, Montana, the Beartooth Highway (U.S. 212) passes through the forest en route to Yellowstone National Park.

The eastern areas are dominated by large stands of ponderosa pine surrounded by grasslands, which are often leased to local ranchers for cattle grazing.

The western sections have a mixture of pine, spruce and fir trees due to the increased altitude and more abundant rainfall.

Members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition are generally considered to be the first white Americans to visit the region.

There are local ranger district offices in Ashland and Red Lodge in Montana, and in Camp Crook in South Dakota.

A relatively rare type of small falcon known as the merlin is found here in greater concentrations than anywhere else in the United States.