Steamboat Mountain is located 33 miles (53 km) south of Bozeman in the Gallatin National Forest and the Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area.

[1] The peak is part of the Gallatin Range which is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises over 1,900 feet (579 meters) above Rock Creek in one mile (1.6 km).

The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1918 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.

[3] Based on the Köppen climate classification, Steamboat Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and mild summers.