The corridor is protected by public lands, including the Ocala National Forest, Lake George State Forest, Heart Island Conservation Area and Tiger Bay State Forest. At the heart of these lie the Big Scrub, the world's largest continuous sand pine forest created from ancient sand dunes capped with vegetation adapted to a lack of water. Among these rolling sand hills also hide vast wet prairies and crystalline springs that pour forth millions of gallons of fresh water daily from the Floridan aquifer. Lush floodplain forests lie along some of Florida’s most significant rivers including the St. Johns. Within the Big Scrub resides the state's largest population of Florida black bear, a threatened subspecies endemic to Florida. Commonly spotted along roadsides and trails, the Florida black bear is an iconic symbol of this unique region, and a fitting namesake for this exceptional scenic byway.

The Big Scrub is also home to endangered indigo snakes, sand skinks, and the threatened Florida scrub jay. Endemic and rare plants flourish here, like the Florida bonamia, scrub buckwheat, scrub paw-paw, and Lewton’s polygala. Longleaf pine islands punctuate the scrub forest, where an open understory affords a spectacular view for a mile and more in places, with wiregrass forming a soft haze on the forest floor. Karst features, such as sinkholes, caves, and springs outcrop most notably where water meets bedrock. Sinkhole lakes, vast wet and dry prairies, and dense hammocks of sand live oaks add to the mosaic of life in this, the Greater Ocala Ecoregion. The region's eastern boundary is defined by Tiger Bay, a large swamp containing pine islands forming an ancient marine terrace between two ancient sand dune ridges.