Glacier Peak is a massive extinct volcano, heavily eroded and covered in glaciers, particularly on its northern and eastern slopes. Its snowy white mass towers in isolation, the highest Cascade peak north of Mount Rainier and south of Mount Baker. The Pacific Crest Trail winds around its eastern slopes, from which the mountain is most easily ascended. The mountain lies within the boundaries of the Mount Baker National Forest and the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area. Bonanza Peak is located a short distance to the northeast.