[3] It is situated 3.5 miles east of Ebbetts Pass in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, on land managed by Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises over 2,900 feet (884 meters) above Noble Canyon in 1.6 mile (2.6 km).

[5] The name commemorates the short-lived Highland City, set on the high land between the Carson and Stanislaus watersheds.

[7] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains.

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