[1] The range forms the eastern flank of the Lake Perris reservoir.

With the damming and formation of Lake Perris in 1973, the western side of the pass was flooded, but the pass can still be used to access Bernasconi Beach and Bernasconi Cove on the southeast end of the lake.

Parts of the range are within the Lake Perris State Recreation Area.

The rocky terrain is a recognized site for the sport of bouldering.

[2] The hills and the pass were named for Bernardo Bernasconi (1839-1923), a native of Switzerland, who purchased 284 acres (1.15 km2) of land around the hills from Joseph Wolfskill and established a sheep ranch named Sulpher Springs Ranch.