 The Rockpile is located in South Vietnam approximately 10 miles (16 km) from the southernmost boundary of the DMZ and 16 miles (26 km) west of Dong Ha.A Marine reconnaissance team described the cone shaped as a "toothpick-type mountain stuck out in the middle of an open area with a sheer cliff straight up and down".The mountain rises almost 790 feet (240 meters) from the Cam Lo River bottom and sits astride several major infiltration routes from North Vietnam and Laos.