It is located in southwestern Alberta, 18 km (11 mi) southwest of the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff.

[2][6] Mount Forbes was first ascended on August 10, 1902, by the Swiss brothers Christian and Hans Kaufmann, guiding the British gentlemen J. Norman Collie, James Outram, Hugh E.M. Stutfield, George M. Weed, and Herman Woolley.

A faster and shorter approach is from the west via recent logging roads starting north of Golden, BC.

The 4–6 hour approach mentioned above has become much longer due to deteriorating trails, and also involves a cold river crossing.

From here a trail ascends 350 m (1,148 ft) up a gravel slope, where it traverses north on ledges above the Icefall Canyon.