It is located 6 kilometres (4 miles) west of Keswick in the north western part of the national park and is a smaller member of the Coledale group of fells with a height of 568 metres (1,864 feet).

The North Western Fells occupy the area between the rivers Derwent and Cocker, a broadly oval swathe of hilly country, elongated on a north–south axis.

Outerside is a satellite of Scar Crags, standing out to the north of the main ridge across the marshy depression of High Moss, 1,625 ft (495 m).

North east of Outerside the little ridge continues across Low Moss to the subsidiary top of Stile End, 1,466 ft (447 m).

[1][2] The view from Outerside's summit cairn is restricted by the higher Coledale fells of Grisedale Pike, Crag Hill and Causey Pike in an arc to the west but there is a good prospect of the Helvellyn range to the east and the Skiddaw group to the north east, as well as a bird's-eye view directly down into Coledale with the Force Crag mine at its head.