The range's central ridge forms the western and eastern borders, respectively, of the two counties through much of their contact.

NM 152 crosses the range at 8,228-foot (2,508 m) Emory Pass, where there is a hiking trail that covers the entire length of the mountains along the central ridge.

There are also a number of campgrounds, some with hiking trails, along NM 152 as it goes down Iron Canyon on the west side of the range.

The Aldo Leopold Wilderness, 202,016 acres (81,753 ha) in size, lies along the crest of the Black Range north of NM 152.

Silver was discovered in the Black Range in the late 1870s, first in 1876 at Lake Valley,[3] and then by Harry Pye in 1879 at Chloride.