The peak is situated in the Kakuhan Range, 46 mi (74 km) northwest of Juneau, and 3 mi (5 km) east of Lynn Canal, on land managed by Tongass National Forest.

Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since Lions Head Mountain rises 5,400 feet above the Berners River Valley in less than three miles.

The peak's descriptive name was applied in 1867 by George Davidson, geographer with the United States Coast Survey, because its serrated profile resembles a lion couchant.

[7] Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Coast Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall.

The months May through July offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing Lions Head Mountain.