Forsyth Peak is situated in the Sierra Nevada mountain range at the northern end of Yosemite National Park.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,300 feet (700 meters) above Jack Main Canyon in 1.4 miles (2.3 km).

Access to the mountain is via the nearby Pacific Crest Trail and the peak can be ascended from the class 2 south or west slopes.

[5] This mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to honor Colonel William Woods Forsyth (1856–1933), United States Army, acting military superintendent of Yosemite Park (1909–1912).

As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range.