The Sierra del Carmen is an isolated range, a sky island, that rises above the Chihuahua Desert. Because of its elevation, higher than any other mountain ranges in the Bolson de Mapimi, the Sierra del Carmen is home to flora and fauna that are more characteristic of the mountains of the western United States than Mexico. At lower elevations, desert vegetation surrounds the higher elevations. Oak and oak-pine forests are found at elevations of . Above 5,900 feet, the forest is dominated by pine. Conifer species such as Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, and Durango fir are found at elevations of or more.