The peak is situated 90 miles north of the Arctic Circle near milepost 203 on the Dalton Highway, and 200 mi (322 km) north-northwest of Fairbanks, where the Bettles and Dietrich Rivers merge to form Middle Fork Koyukuk River.

The peak's Sukakpak name was reported in 1930 by the USGS as an Inupiat word, said to mean "marten deadfall.

"[3] From the north, the mountain resembles a carefully balanced log used to trap marten.

This famous landmark is notable for its west face, a massive wall of Skajit limestone rising nearly 3,000 feet (900 m) above the surrounding valley.

Sukakpak Mountain was designated in 1990 as a BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern to protect this extraordinary scenic and geologic formation.