The mountain rises to a summit elevation of 351 metres (1,152 ft) above sea level and offers sweeping views of the River Derwent, the Meehan Range and surrounding areas.

It also features educational facilities, including Hobart College and the Sustainability Learning Centre, as well as recreational amenities like the University Soccer Club and Mount Nelson Oval.

Beginning in 1803, colonisation led to widespread displacement and violence against the island's Indigenous population, culminating in what many historians recognise as a sanctioned genocide.

[6] Amidst the Black War, colonial official and pastor George Augustus Robinson undertook an expedition to the island's northeast between 1830 and 1831, documenting indigenous languages and place names with the assistance of his Nuenonne guide, Wurati.

[8] Significant suburban development in Mount Nelson began after 1945, driven by government initiatives to accommodate immigrants seeking refuge following the devastation of World War II in Europe.

[9] In 1967, Mount Nelson was severely affected by the Black Tuesday bushfires, which destroyed a large number of homes and caused widespread devastation across southern Tasmania.

[11] The enduring story of the HMS Bounty, with its famous mutiny, creates a misleading sense of equivalence or parallel with the Black War and the genocide of the Palawa/Pakana nations, further complicating an honest engagement with Tasmania's colonial history.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie's visit to Van Diemen's Land in 1811 led to the establishment of a signal post atop Mount Nelson.

This dolerite originated approximately 165 million years ago during the Jurassic period when extensive volcanic activity led to the intrusion of magma into the Earth's crust.

The slow cooling of this magma beneath the surface created the characteristic columnar jointing and durable rock formations seen across the region, including at Mount Nelson.

Mount Nelson’s geology is also notable for its connection to the extensive faulting and uplifting that shaped the broader Derwent estuary and surrounding landscapes.

Geographically, Mount Nelson is positioned with its short northern boundary abutting the suburb area of Sandy Bay and extending through the University of Tasmania to Churchill Avenue.

The northeast boundary follows Lambert Rivulet, traversing through the Skyline and Mount Nelson Signal Station Reserve, while the southern border adjoins the Kingborough Council.

Internally, the suburb of Mount Nelson is bordered by the areas of Fern Tree, Dynnyrne, Ridgeway, and Tolmans Hill, as well as the Southern Outlet.

A 90-minute bushwalk (4.2-kilometre (2.6 mi)) from the Signal Station to Sandy Bay offers glimpses of diverse vegetation, a Truganini Memorial, and opportunities to spot wildflowers and native birds, including the endangered swift parrot.