Calbovista is a saprobic species, decomposing dead plant material. Its fruit bodies grow singly, in groups, or occasionally in clusters. Fruiting occurs from April to August in areas with broken rocks mixed with soil, or in open coniferous forest at elevations ranging from . Another usual habitat is on road sides. Calbovista is a common mountain puffball. Its distribution covers the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast ranges of the western United States. On the eastern side of the Cascade Range, the puffball is often found growing under ponderosa pine. It has been collected from California, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, and Oregon. Its range extends north to British Columbia and Alaska. The puffball is often found by morel hunters in the spring, as it grows in similar habitats.