It grows in the driest desert areas and at elevations up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) .

In Arizona, Nevada, and southern California, Nolina bigelovii is especially prevalent along the Lower Colorado River Valley, especially in the western Arizona Sonoran Desert, but also regions of the mountains of southern California's Colorado Desert.

The species ranges in the Peninsular Ranges of Baja California-(the north state), as well as Isla Ángel de la Guarda in the northern Gulf of California.

Its northeast range extent is in the Grand Canyon of Arizona.

The trunklike stem may exceed 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length, part of which may be underground.