The outstanding feature of the Colville is the high-country Salmo-Priest Wilderness, a vaguely wishbone-shaped tract atop two Selkirk Range ridges that intersect at 6,828-foot Salmo Mountain, wedged within a few miles of Washington's northeastern corner. The Salmo-Priest's scenery and wildlife are full-on northern Rockies; be ready for encounters with grizzly bears, woodland caribou, and even gray wolves; less rarified creatures include mule deer and white-tailed deer, elk and black bears, cougar, bobcat, wolverine, badger, pine marten, lynx, bighorn sheep, and moose. Below the ridgetops you'll find the largest growth of virgin forest left in eastern Washington: western red cedar, western hemlock, Douglas fir, grand fir, larch.

The Colville National Forest is bordered by Kaniksu National Forest to the east, which spreads itself past the border of Idaho and towards some other Idaho State Forests. To the west lies Washington's Okanogan National Forest. Nestled in the core of the forest is Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge and Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, which is famed for its trout fishing. Both the Colville and Spokane Indian Reservations are adjacent to the forest. Across the Canadian border are several Parks and Recreation Areas.

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