They are a a medium rodent that weighs between 17 and 26 g in the spring and early summer, and as much as 35 g during pregnancy or just before hibernation. Females are slightly larger than males. Total body length, from nose to end of tail vertebrae, ranges from 205 to 256 mm. They have a tricolored fur pattern with white underparts, yellowish orange sides lightly streaked with black guard hairs, and a dark dorsal stripe from nose to tail. The tops of their feet are white. Most noticeably, they have a long bicolored tail that is sparsely haired, thin, tapered, scaly, and white-tipped. Woodland jumping mice are rarely found in open areas, have a white-tipped tail, are larger, and are more brightly tricolored than are meadow jumping mice.

Within the Southern Appalachian Ecoregion, woodland jumping mice are restricted to high elevation sites in cool moist habitats such as hemlock stands, sheltered cove hardwood stands with northern species. Woodland jumping mice are true hibernators in the north however, this behavior has not been studied or confirmed in the southeast. Hibernation requires reliably cold temperatures; this fact might explain their range restriction in the southeast. They prefer forested areas with dense woody undergrowth. Throughout their range, woodland jumping mice are found in spruce-fir and hemlock-hardwoods. They are also found in forest edge habitats that are near water or have sufficient cover.