They extend for approximately 40 mi (64 km) southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains through San Bernardino and Riverside Counties to near the northeast edge of the Salton Sink and Salton Sea.

The community of Palm Springs looks north and northeast across the Coachella Valley to the range.

[2] Much of the central and eastern parts of the range are within Joshua Tree National Park.

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is located in the western end of the Little San Bernardino Mountains.

The oasis here contains one of the ten largest cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and red willow (Salix laevigata) Riparian zone habitats in California.