Plješivica is part of the Dinaric Alps, and it stretches in the northwest–southeast direction, extending from Bihać at its northwesternmost point and the mountain pass that separates it from Mala Kapela, along the Krbava field on Croatian side to the southwest and the Una River valley around Ripač on the Bosnian side to the northeast, continuing upstream along the Una by making its canyon southwestern slopes and ending near Donji Lapac.

[citation needed] Inside the north parts of the mountain there used to be the Željava Air Base, the largest underground airbase in SFR Yugoslavia.

On the top of Gola Plješevica there was military complex with intercept and surveillance radar "Celopek".

[citation needed] The highest peaks: A bit further to the south of Plješivica is Kremen at 1,591 meters.

[3][4] A categorization of the highest points of Croatia by professor Vladimir Volenec, first published in 1990 and revised in 2015, has combined the latter peak into the massif of Plješivica.