The area is entirely covered with mixed birch natural woodland. It slopes from east to west towards the River Don and is bisected by the Woodhead railway. There are a number of minor paths but no forest roads.

The orienteering interest is provided by the remnants of past industrial usage in the form of old mining and quarrying. These provide a myriad of very intricate contour and rock details. Hence the need to map at 1:5,000. There is also quite a lot of rock underfoot in places requiring care. During winter most of the area is very runnable but there are areas of bramble growth, particularly in the north. This is shown with the undergrowth screen, but leg protection is strongly recommended.