The Old Woman Mountains are located south of the town of Essex, California, and north of Danby Dry Lake.

The range reaches an elevation of 5,325 feet (1,623 m) at the west end (Old Woman Mountain), and lies in San Bernardino County in the Mojave Desert.

The Old Woman Statue, a prominent rock formation, is found on the eastern side of the range about two miles (3 km) south of Paramount Spring.

Animals found in the mountains include: bighorn sheep, mule deer, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, black-tailed jackrabbits, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, and several species of lizards.

The washes and canyons provide good habitat for several species of songbirds, and the bird densities and diversity is further enhanced by the presence of the known 24 springs and seeps.