One of the seven beacon-hills of Gondor, on the northern flanks of the White Mountains. With Amon Dîn and Eilenach, Min-Rimmon was one of the oldest beacons and originally the last of the line. It was set in place before the foundation of Rohan as a means for Minas Tirith to send warnings to the people of Anórien, in which it stood almost centrally along the mountain range. With the coming of the Rohirrim, the beacon system was expanded to stretch as far as the borders of Rohan, and in this later period two further beacons were added westward of Min-Rimmon: Calenhad and finally the Halifirien in the Firien Wood.³

Min-Rimmon was not a solitary peak, but lay among a cluster of forested ridges and crags that stood out from the flanks of the White Mountains. These crags were collectively known as Rimmon, and the forests that covered them were Taur-Rimmon, the 'forest of Rimmon'. Min-Rimmon gained its name as the most prominent mountain among the crags (Min- in this context means 'prominent mountain peak', so Min-Rimmon was the 'peak of Rimmon'). The name Rimmon itself was an ancient one, dating back to before the founding of Gondor, and its meaning had been lost to memory. This perhaps explains the fact that the spelling of the name is not completely regularised: Min-Rimmon is the most common variant, but the name is also sometimes spelt Min-rimmon or Minrimmon.

There is some slight evidence of a settlement or fortification at Min-Rimmon. At least, after the War of the Ring news of the victory was specifically sent there, implying that there was more than a simple beacon on the mountain. If such a settlement existed, however, it is never described directly, nor shown on any map.

The only direct reference to Min-Rimmon in the histories of the War of the Ring is during the ride of the Rohirrim to the aid of Minas Tirith. Finding the main road defended by enemies, they discovered the existence of the Stonewain Valley, a secret way dating from ancient times that ran '...through Drúadan to Rimmon...' and then '...behind Rimmon and down to Dîn...' (The Return of the King V 5, The Ride of the Rohirrim). These references, however, are rather puzzling: Min-Rimmon was some seventy miles westward of the Drúadan Forest, and it would make little apparent sense for the road to run past Rimmon to reach Minas Tirith in the east.

This discrepancy seems to have arisen during the drafting process of the story. In the original description of these events, Tolkien has Théoden and his people meet the Drúedain, and thus learn of the Stonewain Valley, in Taur-rimmon Forest, the forests around the feet of Min-Rimmon. In later revisions, Théoden still camps under Min-Rimmon on his journey (on 12 March according to the Tale of Years) but does not encounter the Drúedain until the following day (in a different forest - the Drúadan Forest - on 13 March).

The use of 'Rimmon' was certainly deliberate at the time of writing, and matches the events as originally laid down, but alongside the textual change that moved the Drúedain a day's journey to the east, the reference to 'Rimmon' should probably have been changed to 'Eilenach'. This is far from certain, however, and it is conceivable Tolkien may have been considering extending the course of the Stonewain Valley as far westward as Min-Rimmon. Though the simplest explanation is probably that 'Eilenach' should replace 'Rimmon' in this account, there is sufficient doubt over Tolkien's intention that later editions of The Lord of the Rings nonetheless leave this potentially problematic text unchanged. See note 3 below for further discussion on this topic.