It is considered one of the Catskills' High Peaks in its own right, because of its separation from the main summit, and its topographic prominence.

It is considered a bushwhack, as there are no official trails leading to its summit, in the midst of a dense montane boreal forest of red spruce and balsam fir.

Attempts to climb from Diamond Notch, the closest approach of a maintained trail, have led to the creation of a maze of herd paths on the level area west of the mountain's summit, none of which leads to it and many of which dead-end.

Southwest Hunter stands within the watershed of the Hudson River, which drains into New York Bay.

The southwest side of SW Hunter drains into Hollow Brook, thence into Stony Clove Creek.