It is located on the west bank of the lower Susitna River, about 33 miles (53 km) northwest of Anchorage, Alaska.

[1] The mountain is a prominent landmark in the Anchorage area and can be seen across the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet from most of the city, especially at higher elevations.

The mountain is associated with a local legend in which a woman belonging to a race of giants vows to sleep until her beloved comes back from battle.

Over several thousand years, thick ice sheets from the Talkeetna, Chugach and Alaska Ranges flowed down Cook Inlet.

The five well documented glaciations from oldest to most recent were the Mt Susitna, Caribou Hills, Eklutna, Knik and Naptowne.