The range resembles a triangle with its base to the east, along the valley of the Rio Grande del Rancho.

The Harding Pegmatite Mine was operated off and on from about 1900 to 1958, when it was donated to the University of New Mexico as an outdoor geological laboratory.

At one time, the mine made New Mexico the leading producer of beryllium among the United States.

Other commodities historically mined in the range include tungsten, optical calcite, bismuth, and aluminosilicates.

As of 2004[update], the MICA mine was the only producer of muscovite west of the Appalachian Mountains.