The nature reserve is located at an elevation of 950 metres above sea level in a high forest in the territories of Eibenstock and Muldenhammer.
[1] In the southwestern part of the Großer Kranichsee Nature Reserve is located the Schwarzer Teich pond.
It is a watershed and krummholz bog that is drained to the northwest by the Große Pyra and to the southwest by the Rolava.
Among the vegetation typical for the nature reserve are mountain pine (Pinus mugo), hare's-tail cotton-grass (Eriophorum vaginatum), black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) and bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia).
As early as 1900 the Ore Mountain Club branch at Carlsfeld laid a corduroy road into the bog and erected an observation platform that has since disappeared.