Around Stissing's eastern base are substantial amounts of talus blocks composed of gneiss.

Stissing is primarily gneiss but shale, limestone, and quartzite are found in the immediate area.

This gneiss was originally raised along with softer sedimentary rocks via thrust faulting.

"[3][4]Ordovician thrust faulting pushed Stissing's gneiss "core" to its current position on top of younger rock strata.

[5] In late 1933, the Boston Corners CCC Camp built a 79-foot-6-inch-tall (24.23 m) International Derrick E-4898 steel fire lookout tower on the mountain.