The Garden of Eden Barrens are a sparsely vegetated area found around the southern part of the county (and northern part of Guysborough County) located south of Eden Lake. It is a distinctive terrain feature marked by open, windswept uplands with sparse vegetation.

The area is characterized by thin soils, exposed bedrock, and heath-like vegetation, shaped by glacial history and ongoing environmental conditions such as wind exposure and poor drainage. Unlike fertile valleys or meadows, barrens support only hardy plants—low shrubs, lichens, mosses, and scattered conifers. This makes them ecologically fragile but also unique within the county’s landscape.