Great Northern Mountain is the highest point in the Great Bear Wilderness, and the nearest higher peak is Mount Saint Nicholas, 10.56 miles to the east-northeast in Glacier National Park.

[1] Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 5,100 feet (1,600 meters) above Hungry Horse Reservoir in four miles, and the east aspect rises the same in five miles above the Middle Fork Flathead Valley.

[4] According to the Köppen climate classification system, the mountain is located in an alpine subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool to warm summers.

Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer.

Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north into Stanton Creek, which is a tributary of Middle Fork Flathead River, and west slope drains to Hungry Horse Reservoir.