Standing at an elevation of 10,928 feet (3,331 meters), Abiathar Peak is situated in the northeastern part of the park, east of Yellowstone Lake and south of the Lamar Valley. It is a striking feature visible from the Northeast Entrance Road (U.S. Route 212) as it approaches the park.
The peak was named in 1871 by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden during the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. Hayden, known for his practice of naming many geographical features after biblical figures, chose "Abiathar" after the high priest who served King David in the Old Testament. Its proximity to other similarly named peaks, such as Mount Baronett, reflects the systematic naming conventions employed by the survey.