The 14,065-foot (4,287 m) fourteener is located in the Weminuche Wilderness of San Juan National Forest, 28.5 miles (45.8 km) northeast by north (bearing 32°) of the City of Durango in La Plata County, Colorado, United States.

All three peaks are relatively remote by Colorado standards, and have a strong wilderness character; however they can be popular in summer.

The standard route up Sunlight Peak is from the south, known as the "Red Couloir".

It is a non-technical scramble, but achieving the top of the summit block does require an exposed rock climbing move.

[7] Due to its altitude, it receives precipitation all year, as snow in winter, and as thunderstorms in summer, with a dry period in late spring.