[2] Located in the east and central regions of the Bird's Head Peninsula, these mountains rise steeply from the sea, with little or no coastal plain surrounding them.

Mount Arfak, at 2,955 m (9,695 ft), can be viewed from the provincial capital, Manokwari, and is the highest point in West Papua and the Bird's Head Peninsula.

Along with the Tamrau Mountains in the north, the two ranges have been divided by the grassy Kebar Valley, which is the heartland of many indigenous people, with a variety of backgrounds.

Found near the town of Manokwari, the mountains are an important and threatened site of biodiversity, part of the Vogelkop montane rain forests ecoregion.

Multiple tribes of indigenous peoples, many who speak mutually unintelligible languages such as Hatam, Meyah and Sougb, all call the Arfak Mountains their home.