Shaped by behemoth glaciers that carved out the land over 10,000 years ago, Colville National Forest is a gorgeous treasure spanning 1.1 million acres (props to President Theodore Roosevelt for saving it). The lands include a number of geographic features including the Kettle River, upper reach of the Columbia River and the Selkirk mountain range, which is considered to be at the foothills of the Rockies.

Residents (including several Native American tribes) and visitors enjoy camping, nearly 500 miles of hiking trails, mountain biking, lakes, rivers and some too legit to quit wildlife including grizzly bears, cougars, bald eagles and the last remaining herd of caribou in the US. That was almost starting to sound like an indie music festival lineup! Did we mention it’s an inspiring place? So much so that close to a million smackeroos was recently rewarded for continued restoration projects.

Check the forest website for alerts and advisories.