It is included in Alfred Wainwright's Outlying Fells of Lakeland book, sharing a chapter with Dent.

Flat Fell has an elongated, slug-shaped profile, with a steep slope known as Flatfell Screes at the Eastern end.

Unlike Dent, Flat Fell is not forested and is mostly covered by open grassland, grazed by sheep and horses.

The Southern and Eastern slopes are carpeted with large areas of bracken and Gorse (Ulex europaeus).

Flat fell is flanked by two rights of way; a bridleway along the Southern slope and a footpath along the Northern aspect.