„Wilderness Dürrenstein“ is situated in the Southwest of Lower Austria, where it ranges from the border between Styria and Lower Austria up the flank of the „Dürrenstein“, with the mountain’s peak at an altitude of 1 878 m. Annual temperatures average 3,9 °C (39 °F) at an annual precipitation of 2 300 mm (90,6 inches).

Typical forests of this area - characteristic for the Alpine vegetation of the Northern Limestone Zone – are deciduous and coniferous forests, predominant species of trees being beech, spruce and fir. Due to diverse habitats within the area there is a differentiation between dense, moist forests with an undergrowth of foliage and sparse, dry slope forests with a grassy forest floor. On steep slopes and in deep ravines slope forests prevail, where deciduous trees like sycamore, ash and elm are predominant. There are only small patches of natural spruce forests within the area. They grow on rock debris and boulders along the tree line. Because of the humid climate with much snow in winter beech forests reach up to the tree line, too. Their understorey contains herbs like adenostyles (Adenostylus glabra), monkshood (Aconitum sp.), alpine dock or monk's rhubarb (Rumex alpinus) and mountain ragwort (Senecio subalpinus).

At the tree line dense forests are substituted by mountain pines (Subalpine Zone), which merge into alpine grasslands and open fields around the Dürrenstein’s summit. Characteristic species of this zone are mountain aven (Dryas octopetala), silvery yarrow (Achillea clavennae), alpine calamint (Acinos alpinus) and alpine primrose (Primula auricula).

Within the forest region rock faces and boulders naturally lack trees; larger areas have been cleared for the cultivation of alpine pastures. These pastures are of great benefit for a nature reserve and are to be preserved.

Due to large amounts of rotting wood accumulating in natural forests, there is a wide variety of fungi, including species which are unique to the area and have been catalogued here. In all, more than 600 species of fungi grow in the area of „Wilderness Dürrenstein“.

The fauna of „Wilderness Dürrenstein“ includes almost all species typical for the Eastern Alps. Large predators like the brown bear and sometimes the lynx and herbivores like deer, chamois and (mountain) hare are endemic to the area. Smaller vertebrates present are the alpine newt and – salamander and the European adder. A large number of birds inhabit the area, especially woodpeckers and, very remarkably, all grouse species endemic to Austria, have settled here (wood -, black -, hazel grouse and ptarmigan). Even the golden eagle soars at the sky.

Decomposers and species living on and in rotting wood are numerous, represented by the longicorn beetle (Rosalia longicorn), an EU priority species.