It is situated in the Great Bear Wilderness, on land managed by Flathead National Forest.

Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north to the Middle Fork Flathead River, and topographic relief is significant as the summit rises over 2,800 feet (850 meters) above Schafer Creek in less than two miles.

Access to this remote peak is from the nearby Shafer Ranger Station at the Schafer landing strip which was grandfathered with the wilderness designation.

Capitol Mountain is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods.

Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was initially uplifted beginning 170 million years ago when the Lewis Overthrust fault pushed an enormous slab of precambrian rocks 3 mi (4.8 km) thick, 50 miles (80 km) wide and 160 miles (260 km) long over younger rock of the cretaceous period.