The Cabinet Mountains lie to the east of the Purcell Trench. The Cabinet Mountains form the north side of the Clark Fork River valley in Idaho and Montana. The Cabinet Mountains Wilderness is located east of the Bull River near Noxon, Montana  in roughly the center of the range.
Located to the east of the Purcell Trench are the Cabinet Hills. The Cabinet Hills enclose the northern edge of the Clark Fork River valley in Idaho and Montana. In the heart of the range lies the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, situated near Noxon, Montana, east of the Bull River.