All three peaks in the range may be climbed from Aberarder on the A86 road by initially following the path leading up Coire Ardair, before striking north to the summit of Càrn Liath.

The most direct route to the summit of Creag Meagaidh ascends from the head of the corrie to reach a narrow gap between the crags known as The Window.

[5] A number of nationally important plant species can be found at Creag Meagaidh, including woolly willow, wavy meadow grass, highland saxifrage, bog orchid and Scots pine.

One species of fly that has been identified at Creag Meagaidh, Spilogona trigonata, is not found anywhere else in Britain, being generally restricted to Scandinavia and North America.

[12] Snow bunting and golden plover also breed on the higher heaths and summit plateau, while red grouse and greenshank are often seen on the lower slopes.

[13] Mountain hares are common on the higher parts of the reserve, whilst pine marten and otter can occasionally be found at lower altitudes.

[6] The earliest historical records for Creag Meagaidh are from the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, when the area was farmed by tenants who grew crops on the lower slopes and grazed cattle on the higher ground during the summer.

[16] By the early twentieth century the estate was being managed for sporting interests (deer stalking, fishing and grouse shooting), alongside sheep farming and forestry.

The construction of the Laggan Dam (completed 1934) as part of the Lochaber hydroelectric scheme led to a reduction in the amount of grazing land in the area, causing an increase in deer numbers at Creag Meagaidh.