The park was created in 1950 with an initial area of 6.8 km2 to protect the natural resources around Jbel Tazekka (elevation 1,980 m), particularly the grove of cedars (Cedrus atlantica), which are isolated on this peak in the Middle Atlas range.

In 1989, the park was extended to include nearly 120 km2 of ecologically important areas, including forests of cork oak and holm oak, as well as canyons, caves, cascades, and rural landscapes.

As a result, the mountain frequently shows a cap cloud and annually receives approximately 180 cm of precipitation, particularly in the form of snow.

Barbary leopards, striped hyenas and caracals, which were found once in the area, are extinct.

[1] The park has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of Barbary partridges, Levaillant's woodpeckers, subalpine and Sardinian warblers, spotless starlings, Moussier's redstarts, and black-eared and black wheatears.