On the other hand, the Big Burro Mountains are on the northwest perimeter of the Chihuahuan Desert as it extends into southern New Mexico through the Playas and Animas Valleys.

The Big Burro Mountains have easy access being surrounded by various population centers: Cliff–Gila at the north; Red Rock at the west; Silver City–Tyrone at the east; and White Signal at the southeast.

It finally enters a series of north-south ranges, including the Pyramid and Animas Mountains, and traverses south into northwest Chihuahua, Mexico.

The Big Burro Mountains are part of the Mazatzal province, a block of the Earth's crust that began as an island arc and collided and merged with North America around 1650 million years ago.

[3] Younger sediments were deposited on top of this rock, but were mostly eroded away when faulting associated with the Laramide orogeny uplifted a large block of crust to form the Big Burro Mountains.