Hickson, who named it after encountering several rock ptarmigan in the meadows below the peak.

Hickson, guided by Edward Feuz Jr., also completed the first ascent of the peak that same year.

A backcountry campground is located at the base of the mountain, near Hidden Lake.

The scrambling route to the summit of Ptarmigan Peak follows the southern slopes and begins from Hidden Lake.

[3] Like other mountains in Banff National Park, Ptarmigan Peak is composed of sedimentary rock that was laid down from the Precambrian to Jurassic periods.