The mountains extend southeast from Poncha Pass for about 75 mi (121 km) through south-central Colorado to La Veta Pass, approximately 20 mi (32 km) west of Walsenburg, and form a high ridge separating the San Luis Valley on the west from the watershed of the Arkansas River on the east.

The Sangre de Cristo Range rises over 7,000 ft (2,100 m) above the valleys and plains to the west and northeast.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve sits on the southwestern flank of the range at the edge of the San Luis Valley.

Major fault lines run along the east and west sides of the range, and cut right through the mountains in some places.

The Sangre de Cristo range is still being uplifted today as faults in the area remain active.

Due to uplift (elevation increase) and erosion, rock layers are missing, causing gaps in the range, called "unconformities.

In (mm) In (cm) Antonio Valverde y Cosio named the Sangre de Cristo range after the red-hue that he saw during the snowy sunrise.