[3] It is situated in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest.

It is approximately 7.0 miles (11.3 km) northwest of the community of June Lake, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) east of Yosemite National Park's eastern boundary, and 1.0 mile (1.6 km) east of Koip Peak, the nearest higher neighbor.

Topographic relief is significant as it rises over 5,700 feet (1,700 meters) above Grant Lake in four miles.

[6] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains.

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