Located approximately 5.5 miles (8.9 km) west-northwest of the town of Newhalem, it was named by Lage Wernstedt, a surveyor with the U.S. Forest Service.

[4] A significant peak in North Cascades National Park, Mount Triumph is one of its "outstanding sights" and is well known among regional climbers for its lack of easy climbing routes to the summit.

Neighboring Mount Despair is an exposure of light grey granodiorite, part of the great pluton of the Chilliwack batholith, which is visible west of the Thornton Lakes.

[3] A scrambling route from Thornton Lakes Trail leads to the summit of Trappers Peak (5,966 ft or 1,818 m) which provides good views of Mount Triumph.

As a result, the west side of the North Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall.