The Black Mountains are mostly within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, with a small valley bordering north, the Bitter Spring Valley at the southeast of the arid Muddy Mountains Deep canyons and washes that flow southeast into the Overton Arm of Lake Mead cut into the mountain range.

[4] The Armijo Route of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail ran down the Virgin Valley-Overton Arm section of the valleys now occupied by Lake Mead.

The trail descended the Colorado from the mouth of the Virgin River, avoided Boulder Canyon, at the southwest of the Black Mountains, where the range is separated from the Black Mountains in Arizona.

The trail heading west to Las Vegas Wash, entered the mountains, went southwest of Pyramid Peak to Pinto Valley, and then skirted Hamblin Mountain to the south, with Pinto and Razorback Ridges north; past Cottonwood Spring.

The southwestern end of the Black Mountain range, is now at Callville Bay.