Plants rhizomatous, often with widely spaced single culms and only a few vegetative shoots, varying to loosely cespitose. Culms (20)25–70(100) cm. Sheaths tightly enclosing the culms; vegetative shoot blades 0.5–1.5 mm in diameter, conduplicate, deep green, abaxial surfaces smooth to slightly scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous on the ribs; cauline blades conduplicate or flat; abaxial sclerenchyma in narrow strands; adaxial sclerenchymaabsent. Inflorescences 5–8 cm, closed or open. Spikelets 8–11 mm, with 4–7 florets. Lower glumes 2–3 mm; upper glumes 4–5 mm, acute to acuminate; lemmas 5–6 mm, pale green with violet borders, smooth or scabrous near the apices, apices awned, awns 1–2.5(4) mm; anthers 2–2.6 mm. 2n = unknown.
Festuca rubra subsp. vallicola grows in moist meadows, lake margins, and disturbed soil, at 1000–2000 m, in montane and subalpine habitats from the Yukon Territory/British Columbia border area south to Wyoming.