[citation needed] It is located on Business Texas State Highway 36, 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Downtown Gatesville.

Hilltop sites on an approximately 1,317-acre (533 ha) plot of land and is co-located with the Crain, Murray, and Woodman units.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) described it as "a true prison farm" that "fittingly serves as the headquarters for the area’s agricultural operations."

Hilltop is the center of vehicle maintenance and repair work, and it serves as the area fuel depot.

Some staircases are topped by pressed tin ceilings from era that the former Gatesville State School was built in.