Montana Has a Rainforest? One of Big Sky’s Best-Kept Secrets

Montana is a gem when it comes to landscapes. That’s no secret—it’s why so many people visit every year and why the rest of us are proud to call it home. From rolling grasslands to jaw-dropping mountain ranges, wide open skies, untouched wilderness... and, believe it or not, a rainforest.

Wait, what? Yep, you read that right. Montana has its very own rainforest.

Most folks don’t realize it, but tucked inside more than 23 million acres of forested land is a little slice of lush, wild beauty that qualifies as rainforest territory. And no, it’s nothing like the Amazon. You won’t find jungle cats or 100-degree heat with air so thick you can drink it.

This hidden gem lives in Montana’s Yaak Valley, inside the Kootenai National Forest. It’s one of the most biodiverse spots in the state, thanks to a unique combo of elevation and high precipitation. Pretty wild, right?

The northwestern corner of Montana gets more rain than anywhere else in the state. Weather rolling in from the Pacific brings in a steady dose of moisture and keeps the temps a bit milder than the rest of Montana. That combo makes it the perfect spot for forests to thrive—even at lower elevations. It’s the kind of environment where temperate rainforest species like western redcedar and western hemlock can really flourish.

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So whether you’re adding it to your Montana bucket list or just tucking it away for your next trivia night flex, it’s a pretty cool fact to know—yep, Montana has a rainforest.