Festuca occidentalis is a species of grass known by the common name western fescue. It is native to much of the northern half of North America and is most widely distributed in the west. It is most often found in forest and woodland habitat. This fescue is a densely or loosely clumping bunchgrass with very thin stems reaching maximum heights of around one meter. The soft leaves reach up to about 25 centimeters in length and are somewhat hairlike. The inflorescence has one or two very thin branches bearing spikelets 6 to 12 millimeters long. There are no rhizomes.