The whole of the range falls within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area[2] and is covered in richly diverse world heritage listed wet tropical forests, including species of flora and fauna endemic to the range.

The range also forms part of the Wooroonooran Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because it supports populations of a range of bird species endemic to Queensland's Wet Tropics.

[3] Most of the range is also a gazetted protected area named Wooroonooran National Park.

Queensland's two highest mountains, Mount Bartle Frere (1622 m) and Mount Bellenden Ker (1593 m) form part of this range, and Walshs Pyramid (922 m) (one of the highest free-standing natural pyramids in the world) is located at the range's northern end [citation needed].

The mountains were sighted by Lieutenant James Cook but weren't given the name "Bellenden Ker Range" before Lieutenant Phillip Parker King named them, on 22 June 1819, whilst aboard the Mermaid.