The forest is composed of a mixture of grass and sagebrush covered lowlands with "island" pockets of lodgepole pine and more mountainous areas where Douglas fir, spruce and larch can be found.

Other predators such as wolves, bobcats, wolverines, mountain lions, and Canadian lynx are also present[4] Black bears are numerous as are elk, moose, mule deer, and antelope.

Along streams and lakes, sightings of nesting bald eagles and other raptors are becoming more common due to protection of these species and their vitally important waterways.

Seven hundred miles (1,100 km)of hiking trails are located in the forest along with numerous trout streams and several lakes.

In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Lewis and Clark, Broadwater, Powell, Jefferson, and Meagher counties.