[4] An ascent of the summit involves 7.4 miles of hiking (round-trip) with 750 feet of elevation gain, and the months of June through October offer the best conditions.

His photograph of Mount Watkins reflected in Mirror Lake was especially popular, and likely led to his name being affixed to this mountain.

[6] This mountain's toponym was officially adopted on June 30, 1932, by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names,[3] although it was featured in publications as early as 1871.

[8][9] Along with El Capitan and Half Dome, Mount Watkins is one of the three main big walls in Yosemite for rock climbing.

As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the range.