The reserve is situated in an uninhabited, arid desert of mountains and valleys. The Tarim Basin is to the west, the Altyn-Tagh mountains form a southern barrier, and the Karum Tagh range (an extension of the Tien Shan) mountains are to the north. A corridor of sand dunes run north-south on the eastern edge of the site, protecting the camels from eastern influences, as does the dry lake bed of Lop Nur to the west. The Altun Shan National Nature Reserve borders Lop Nur to the southwest.