Location
The site is situated in the central part of the Beskid Niski Mountains, in the upper part of the Wisloka River. It comprises the Magura Watkowska range in the north (Watkowa 847 m, Kornuty 830 m a.s.l.) and the Pasmo Graniczne range on state border between Poland and Slovakia. The highest peak is Lackowa (997 m asl). The site covers the area of 194,4 km2.

Landscape
The eastern part of the site consists of a continuity of single elongated hills (Swierzowa 803 m, Kolanin 707 m, Kamien 714 m a.s.l), which are the characteristic feature of the landscape. The ranges extend from NW to SE are separated by the valleys of denudation or erosion origin. The site is a large, uniform patch of forest, divided by the Wisloka River in its western part, and by the Wilsznia stream valley in the east. Enclaves of non-forest communities cover

Ecosystem
There are two climatic belts in the site: warm temperate climate belt and cool temperate climate belt. They are separated by the isotherm of  annual air temperature of 6-7°C. The mean annual precipitation totals are 800-1100 mm/year. The number of days with the snow cover is 120-150. The characteristic feature of the area are strong winds, so-called dukielski or rymanowski, specially intensive during the autumn-winter period.

The southern boundary of the Magurski National Park (the state frontier with Slovakia) is the European watershed between the drainage basins of the Black See and The Baltic. Numerous streams and rivers flow across the area of the site: Biala Dunajcowa, Wisloka, Wislok, Oslawa.

Habitats listed on Annex I of Habitat Directive

• Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests
• Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests
• Tilio-Acerion forest of slopes, screes and ravines
• Galio-Carpinetum oak-hornbeam forests
• Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis)
• Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)
• Alkaline fens
• Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels
• Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clavey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae)
• Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae
• Alpine rivers and their ligneous vegetation with Salix elaeagnos
• Species-rich Nardus grasslands, on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and submountain areas, in Continental Europe)
• Transition mires and quaking bogs
• Caves not open to the public  

Flora
There are only two vegetation belts in the site: foreland and lower montane belt. The total amount of vascular plants found in the Magurski National Park until now is 767. The flora of the MNP has a transitional character between the Eastern and Western Carpathians. Many vascular plant species has the borders of their range within the Beskid Niski Mountains.

The most valuable plant species include ferns - Hart's-tongue and Ostrich fern, English ivy, Cross gentian, Daphne mezereum, Martagon lily.

Fauna
Forests of Ostoja Magurska are home to bears, wolves, lynx and wild cats, which are under threat of extinction in Poland. One can also meet red deer, deer, foxes and beech martens, as well as rodents voles, and yellow-necked mice.

Caves of the region are inhabited by 21 bat species including Lesser Horseshoe Bat, Parti-coloured Bat and Northern Bat listed in the Polish Red Data Book of Animals.

Birds are represented by Common Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Common Kestrel, Black Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker. Ostoja Magurska is famous for the most numerous European population of Ural Owl.

Reptiles and amphibians species include those typical for the mountain areas - Alpine Newt, an endemic species Carpathian Newt and the Yellow-bellied toad.

Nature protection
The area is protected as the Magura National Park established in 1994 over the area of 19 439 ha. Before the foundation of the Magurski National Park there was a gap spreading between the National Parks of the Western Carpathians: Pieninski, Gorczanski, Babiogorski and Tatrzanski, and the Bieszczadzki National Park in the Eastern Carpathians.

There are a few nature reserves within the park's borders: „Kornuty" - sandstone rocks, mixed forest complexes with Pinus mungo and beech,  „Cergowa", „Igiełki", „Wadernik", „Cisy w Nowej Wsi" - with well preserved Common Yew communities.