The headwaters of the river lie in the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, which is part of the larger Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve.

[4] Wilson's Lake has one of the largest populations of Atlantic Coastal Plain plants in Canada, and is the site of the small but highly significant Tusket River Nature Reserve.

[5] In 2011 botanists exploring a newly acquired protected area, the Jack and Darlene Stone Conservation Lands, discovered another rare plant species, Maleberry (Lyonia ligustrina), the first time this species has been found growing in Canada.

[6] Groundseltree (Baccharis halimifolia) reaches its northern limit in North America near the Tusket River Estuary.

The upper reaches, served by Trout Point lodge, were named one of the top 10 fishing spots in the world by The Guardian in 2006.