The park is culturally important because of its centrality to a range of peoples back to ancient times, and to its scientific value resulting from the biodiversity of its closely placed variety of habitats.

In the Volga Uplands, a region of hills on the East European Plain, the park is found on the northeast edge.

About 18% of the Samara Bend National Park is in the mountainous Zhiguli on the north, 8% is on Volga floodplains to the south, and the remainder is forest and forest-steppe.

[2] Samarskaya Luka lies in the East European forest steppe ecoregion (WWF ID#419), a transition zone between the broadleaf forests of the north and the grasslands to the south, cutting across the middle of Eastern Europe from Bulgaria through Russia.

This climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters.

The 3% conifers are in small stands of sparse Scots pine found on the higher slopes and on limestone.

[1] Popular trails and landmarks include: The Samarskaya Luka area has six museums, notably Ilya Repin's house.