The Coeur d'Alene National Forest surrounds Kellogg on three sides and provides the outdoor recreation that anchors the town's post-mining economy. The forest covers over 700,000 acres of northern Idaho Panhandle country, with elk, moose, white-tailed deer, and black bear in the valleys, and mountain goats higher up.
Hiking trails from the Silver Mountain gondola access ridgeline terrain with views across multiple mountain ranges. The North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, which runs through Kellogg, has good fishing for cutthroat trout and steelhead. Camping is available at several Forest Service campgrounds within a short drive of town. In winter the forest holds the snowpack that makes Silver Mountain's ski season possible.