This preserve protects a broad floodplain supporting high-quality examples of the globally rare Rio Grande cottonwood/skunkbrush sumac and Rio Grande cottonwood/coyote willow riparian plant communities. More than 80 percent of Colorado's wildlife depends on rivers and riverside habitat. The San Miguel, one of the few remaining naturally functioning rivers in the West, supports some of the best riparian habitat in the Upper Colorado Basin.

Natural flood cycles and a history of very little development have kept many parts of this river in pristine condition—much as they would have appeared before the state was settled. A 7-mile stretch of the San Miguel meanders through the preserve, occupying a broad floodplain. Unlike areas upstream, the waters flowing through this site are tame and peaceful.

Healthy examples of rare Rio Grande cottonwood riparian communities line the shores, and visitors may see bald eagles (in winter), beavers, black bears, great blue herons, mountain lions, peregrine falcons and river otters. The preserve is open year-round, dawn to dusk, and visitors can enjoy a short walking trail for wildlife watching, picnicking, hiking, fishing (catch-and-release with artificial flies and lures only), canoeing and rafting.