Since 1993, most of the region has been protected by the Black Mountain Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Schwarze Berge), the second largest in Bavaria outside of the Alps, in order to counteract its afforestation by coniferous forest.

North of Langenleiten the boundary runs southwards in order to leave the valleys of the tributaries of the Kleiner Steinach.

[2] As well as the Black Mountains, the Southern High Rhön also includes the Kreuzberg Group and the Dammersfeld Ridge.

The basement is formed of red clays and marls overlaid by rocks of the Lower Muschelkalk.

In 1968, at the time of the publication of Sheet 140 "Schweinfurt", the annual precipitation was 1000–1100 mm, on 90–110 days of the year there was a continuous layer of snow.