A number of quarries around Scrabo Hill have exposed excellent sections through the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group in addition to the vent and sills related to Tertiary vulcanism.
Various features record the action of volcanic activity on the sandstones. The capping dolerite sill has protected the relatively soft Triassic sandstone from subsequent erosion.
Scrabo provides the only evidence of reptilian habitation from the Irish landmass during Triassic times.
In the fine-grained sandstones and siltstones, linguoid and rectilinear ripples are preserved and some are draped with mud, indicating a shallow-water depositional environment with variable energy levels. The Aeolian deposited muds which adhered to still wet subaerial sands are particularly rich in trace fossils.
The site regularly supports breeding peregrine falcon.
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