Covering a total of over 200 hectares (490 acres), it extends around three sides of the city's centre at a distance from it of some 1–3 km (1–2 mi) in a broad 7 km (4 mi) crescent from the Oval at Kensington in the south through the suburbs of Mornington, City Rise, Belleknowes, Roslyn, Maori Hill, Prospect Park, Glenleith, Woodhaugh, The Gardens and Dunedin North and the slopes of Signal Hill.
The belt was originally a combination of native bush and scrubland, but is now largely replanted forest and open parkland.
A long, narrow road, Queens Drive, winds along much of the length of the belt and provides easy access to it for Dunedinites.
Numerous walkways lead through the bush and parks, and the belt is a popular recreation area for Dunedinites.
Notable buildings and structures in the belt include Moana Pool, Olveston, Otago Boys' High School, and the Beverly-Begg Observatory.