[7] The peak's geological composition consists of metamorphic rock, and it is classified as a fault block mountain.

[3] The toponym of this mountain was officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names to honor Andrew Jack Gaylor, one of the first rangers in Yosemite National Park.

"[9] The Great Sierra Mine Historic Site is located approximately one-half mile north of Gaylor Peak.

[10] Most weather fronts originate over the Pacific Ocean and move eastward toward the Sierra Nevada mountains.

As these fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks through a process known as orographic lift, which causes the moisture to condense and fall as precipitation, either as rain or snow, depending on the season.