It is comprised of 950 square kilometres of land and is home to a variety of wildlife including black bear, fox, coyote, deer, moose and snowshoe hare. Over 200 species of birds inhabit the Highlands and whales feed off the coast. The Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site is another protected area through Parks Canada. The Park combines a variety of historical and natural features including coastline, salt marshes and nesting areas for aquatic birds. Black Rock reveals a geological sequence extending back millions of years to the area's volcanic origin and the surrounding marshy plains provide shelter for deer and fox.
Brook is a local favorite for fishing speckled trout.
Other recently protected areas on Cape Breton Island include Jim Campbells Barrens, Pollett Cove-Aspy Fault, the Margaree River, French River, Sugarloaf Mountain, Middle River, North River, Trout Brook, Middle River Framboise, Scaterie Island and Gabarus. These natural regions display examples of rare plants, wetlands, old growth forests, waterfalls, beach lagoons and refuges for salmon and trout. Please see the Natural History of Nova Scotia for further information.