Caladenia alpina is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single, sparsely hairy, lance-shaped leaf, 9–28 cm (4–10 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide.

The petals and lateral sepals are broad, 12–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) long and are white and glabrous on the front and pinkish red to maroon with glandular hairs on the back.

The labellum is about 9 mm (0.4 in) long when flattened, white with dark red to purple spots and lines with a wavy margin, a few short teeth and a pointed tip.

[2][3][4]Caladenia alpina was first formally described by Richard Sanders Rogers in 1927 and the description was published in Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia.

[8][9] Alpine caladenia usually grows in subalpine zones above 1,000 m (3,000 ft) in forest, Snow Gum woodland and herbfields or near ponds and bogs.