[citation needed] Unapproachable was named by the explorer Ernest Giles in 1872, whilst on an expedition across central Australia.

[6] In his journal, Tietkens wrote that he first travelled to the Bloods Range, to the south of Lakes Amadeus and Neale.

He climbed a nearby set of hills, and identified Mount Unapproachable as the westernmost peak of the Long's Range.

[7][8] He reported that his team reached Unapproachable around the middle of June and then spent several days travelling around the western edge of Lake Amadeus.

[9][10] Another team of surveyors visited the area in 1926, led by Donald Mackay and Herbert Basedow.