Abraham Lake Nature Reserve contains one of the best red spruce-dominated old-growth forest sites in Nova Scotia.

A walking trail provides access to parts of this forest.

Many of the old red spruce trees at Abraham Lake have recently been infested by spruce bark beetle. This beetle consumes the cambium layer of the tree, often killing the tree. It is unusual for spruce bark beetle to infest red spruce, as its normal host is white spruce. But, at times, populations of the beetle can dramatically increase and spread to other spruce species, particularly if these are older or weakened by disease, injury or other stressors.

The reserve lands were donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) by Scott Worldwide Inc. in 1995. In 2006, these lands, together with Abraham Lake, were designated as nature reserve under the Province's Special Places Protection Act. The reserve lands continue to be owned by NCC and the reserve is now jointly managed by NCC and the province.