On the eastern side of the Vantaa River valley, Katinmäki hill stands above its surroundings, reaching a height of 64 metres above sea level. The hilltop has a beautiful view of the Vantaa River cultural landscape, which also holds national significance. The top of Katinmäki is open rock, and the steep hillsides surrounding it grow dense spruce forests almost in their natural state. The southern side of the rocky hill ends in a cliff.
The rocky fields of Katinmäki are covered with sticky catchf…ly, red sorrel and sweet vernal grass, among other species. Some spots of heather grow around the tallest rocky hill top. The floor of the dense spruce forest is covered by bilberry shrubs, with hairy wood-rush, calamagrostis arundinacea, arctic starflower and other grass plants growing in-between. Some individual oaks, old pine trees and silver birches grow among the dominant spruce trees. Some areas have a high number of maple seedlings. A solid front of aspens grow by the rock cliff. Decomposing wood can be found in large quantities, as spruces and deciduous trees have fallen in high wind. A sizeable, grey group of dead spruce trees that are still standing tall stands out in the forest landscape.
The forest area surrounded by open fields is quite small, and no large animals live there. However, squirrels, rabbits and other smaller critters can be seen in Katinmäki. The area has a dense population of birds, with species that indicate the area's status as a natural forest, such as Eurasian treecreepers, goldcrests, Eurasian bullfinches and great spotted woodpeckers.