Fairbank sits on the Sudbury Nickel Irruptive, an unusual geological formation that scientists believe may have appeared after a meteorite struck the earth millions of years ago. The Irruptive contains the world's greatest known concentration of nickel and copper ore. An interesting feature in the park is the Fairbank fault -- a fracture in the earth's crust -- which is visible from a hiking trail.

The park is home to many small mammals such as the red squirrel and the chipmunk, as well as a few larger animals such as moose. In the fall, a pocket of hardwood trees, unusual this far north, provides a spectacular blaze of orange, yellow and red.