Baikal Nature Reserve is located in the southern part of the Buryatia Republic. The major part of the nature reserve is situated on the territory of Khamar-Daban mountain ridge. On probation the nature reserve is divided in two parts: the northern part is larger (the northern ridge macroslope and Baikal coast) and the southern part is smaller. The nature reserve area is 165.7 thousand hectare of the mountain mass. The borders of nature reserve pass through the rivers Mishikha and Vidrinnaya. The northern border passes through the shore of the Baikal Lake.

Baikal Nature Reserve was created in 1969 for protect the ecosystem of Baikal coast and the central part of Khamar-Daban.

The territory of the federal reserve «Kabansky» in the delta of the river Selenga was passed under the nature reserve jurisdiction in 1986. It was referred to the wetlands of international importance (The Ramsar Convention). In 1986 the nature reserve was included into The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Since 1996 the territory of the nature reserve became a part of the World Heritage «Lake Baikal».