Attractions

The west edge of the Cabinets and rivals the spectacular beauty of the giant sequoias
of California. Some of these great Cedar trees in the grove are more than 600 years old. Loggers were the first people to note
the beauty of the grove, and they worked tirelessly to protect these tall trees. In 1960, the Kootenai National Forest set aside
the Ross Creek Cedar grove and established it as a scenic area, protecting it for its scientific and recreational value. Many of the ancient western red cedars are more than eight feet in diameter, and they loom 175 feet above Ross Creek. The self-guided 1-mile loop nature trail through the grove takes about an hour to 1.5 hours for average walkers to complete. The meandering path leads past informative signs about the history and ecology of the numerous plant and animal species native to the grove.

Located in northern Idaho, Schweitzer Mountain Resort is a ski resort which is only a 50 mile drive from the Cabinet mountains. It overlooks Lake Pend Oreille to the southeast with views of the Bitterroot and Cabinet mountain ranges. With a summit elevation of 6,400 feet above sea level with a vertical drop of 2,440 feet, Schweitzer Mountain has 92 named runs and open bowls on its skiable area of 2,900 acres, and the average annual snowfall is over 300 inches. The uphill lift capacity is 12,502 passengers per hour, and the longest continuous groomed run is Little Blue Ridge Run, at 2.1 mile. A perfect ski resort for anyone level of skier, Schweizer has seven chairlifts and three surface tows that serve terrain which is rated at 20% beginner, 40% intermediate, 35% advanced, and 5% expert.

With its origins in British Columbia’s, Kootenay National Park in Canada, the Kootenai River flows 485 miles into northwest Montana alongside the Cabinet mountains, Yaak, and Bull river. In terms of runoff volume, The Kootenai River is the second largest tributary to that of the Columbia River. The Kootenai Basin, Selkirk and Cabinets are all mountain ranges marking the western boundary of Montana. Elevations reach a maximum of about 12,000 feet with most summit elevations between 6,000 and 7,500 feet where the entire watershed is heavily forested. Throughout the river the Kootenai has populations of Cutthroat Trout, Bull Trout, Kokanee Salmon, and Rainbow Trout. Along with these popular fish there are also White Sturgeon living in areas below the Kootenai Falls. The river is considered to be a blue-ribbon Trout fishing river, providing exciting sport fishing action. Water quality within the Kootenai River basin is generally considered high. The Kootenai and some of its tributaries are some of the only places in Montana where a native strain of rainbow trout, called Columbia River Red bands are indigenous. This is a great river for the MRE to have access to because it is well known and already has its own well-established frequent visitors.