Vattingsmalarna covers 228 hectares on the coast north of Sörfjärden in Gnarp. Its exposed terrain includes fields of rounded stones, beach terraces and storm shorelines formed as the land rose after the last ice age. The reserve’s largest stone field is among the largest in Gävleborg County and gave the reserve its name.

A marked trail runs through the reserve, and rest areas provide places to pause and grill. The forest is mostly heath pine, with some spruce; wetter ground by streams and marshes has deciduous trees, orchids and heather. The reserve also has Bronze Age burial mounds and cairns, as well as old fishing and hunting remains. At Hartskär, on the southern part of the reserve, are traces of a former harbour belonging to Myrtorpet. Vattingen, a former fishing village on the northern edge, was inhabited until the mid-1930s. Two root cellars and several building foundations remain there.

Birds recorded in the area include nightjar. Seabirds and waders seen along the coast include velvet scoter, red knot and little ringed plover. From Sörfjärden, the reserve is about 800 metres away on foot via a trail. The reserve page describes walking and rest areas.