Willard Peak is situated on the crest of the Wasatch Range which is a subset of the Rocky Mountains, and it is set on land managed by Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

The peak is located at the head of Willard Creek and precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes ultimately drains to Great Salt Lake.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises over 5,500 feet (1,700 meters) above Willard Bay in four miles.

This landform's toponym, which refers to Willard Richards (1804–1854), has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

[7][4] The peak was climbed in 1877 by Samuel Escue Tillman and Rogers Birnie of the Hayden Survey and used as a triangulation station.