North Mountain Wilderness Area protects a portion of North Mountain, a 25 km long, forested granitic ridge, rising out of West Bay on Bras d’Or Lake.

The wilderness area includes plateau and parts of small gullies that drop off steeply to either side. The forest is predominantly hardwood, with older sugar maple and yellow birch. The plateau has a complex of wetlands and small ponds ringed by black spruce and balsam fir forest.

Protection of these lands helps represent Bras d’Or North Mountain Ridge natural landscape in the provincial protected areas network.

The rugged and dramatic landscape offers scenic views of Bras d’Or Lake and the settled lowlands below and offers opportunities for outstanding wilderness adventure.

Minor boundary adjustments were made during the survey process to simplify surveying and management. An adjacent communications tower on Crown land is not part of the wilderness area.

Wilderness area designation of an additional 233 hectares in the headwaters of MacCuspics Brook, near Lime Hill, will take effect if overlapped mineral rights expire and no new rights are granted.