Auttiköngäs was established in 1955 as a protected old-growth forest, later being designated a special conservation forest. Today, Auttiköngäs is part of an old-growth forest conservation programme and the Natura 2000 network. The area of Auttiköngäs is 377 hectares in total.

The Auttijoki River, which bisects the Auttiköngäs area, flows through a large, uniform gorge in the bedrock, which also includes the Auttijärvi valley and Korouoma. Pristine coniferous forests over 200 years of age cover most of the Auttiköngäs area. Spruce stands festooned with beard moss grow on the moraine slopes of fells, while the most typical tree species found on the sandy eskers of the river valley is pine. Deciduous trees and lush and herb-rich vegetation are found on the banks of the Auttijoki River and along the streams flowing into the river. Plant rarities in the area include the Lapland buttercup and poisonous red baneberry. The rock vegetation typically found on steep terrain is represented by e.g. snow saxifrage, oblong woodsia and common polypody.

Due to the wilderness environment and wide variety of habitats, there is a great diversity of animals and birds in the area. Endemic fauna includes moose and bear, and lynx have also been sighted. The night-time activities of the mysterious otter are revealed by winding tracks and slides near snow-free areas in the winter. Bird life in the area includes species nesting on the banks of streams and high atop rocky cliffs, such as the white-throated dipper. Birds of old-growth forests thrive in Auttiköngäs, such as the black woodpecker and Eurasian three-toed woodpecker; the wilderness of the area is reflected in the silhouette of the golden eagle gliding above in the sky or the hoot of the Eurasian eagle-owl in nearby forests as dusk falls.