The reserve was established for the protection and study of the relic pre-glacial dark taiga of the higher elevations, and the mountain-steppe of the river valleys and lower regions.

The reserve is situated in the Zmeinogorsky, Tretyakovsky and Krasnoshchyokovsky districts of Altai Krai.

The reserve is bounded on the south by the northwest border of Kazakhstan; the region to the north stretches into steppe, and the higher Altai mountains are the east.

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

[1] There are two general types of plant communities in Tigireksky: forest-steppe in the north and west on smooth domed mountains, and dark taiga along the Tigirek Ridge.

[7] The reserve hosts the full range of western Altai dark taiga and forest-steppe animals: 67 species of mammal have reported on the site.

All 11 species of bat known to live in the Altai region are found in the caves around the village of Tigirek.