It features a rugged wilderness of lakes, rivers, and barren granite hills in the south.

The valleys of the wilderness area, which are much wetter, feature Black Spruce and Balsam Fir, and the occasional red maple or white birch grows amongst the softwoods.

Part of the watershed that feeds Lake Major, the main water supply for the City of Dartmouth is contained within this wilderness area.

[3] Most of the remainder of the wilderness area may be accessed by canoeing and portaging, with starting points on Lake Major, Aerotech Drive, or Salmon River Road.

When the game sanctuary was re-designated as a wilderness area in 1991, hunting was once more allowed, and the warden's cabins fell out of use.