The holotype of Cryolophosaurus consists of a high, narrow skull, which was discovered articulated with the rest of the skeleton.
The skull is an estimated 65 centimetres (26 in) long.
It has a peculiar nasal crest that runs just over the eyes, where it rises up perpendicular to the skull and fans out.
It is thin and highly furrowed, giving it a unique "pompadour" appearance and earned it the nickname "Elvisaurus."
The crest is an extension of the skull bones, near the tear ducts, fused on either side to orbital horns which rise from the eye sockets.
While other theropods like the Monolophosaurus have crests, they usually run along the skull instead of across it.

An unpublished study conducted by Vernon Meidlinger-Chin in 2013 suggested that previous studies lacked focus on endocranial details.
The study found that the Cryolophosaurus fossil has a nearly complete, undistorted cranial cavity which is complete enough to give an approximate shape and size of the living brain.
The endocast features clarified the dissimilarity of the skull with those of Allosauroids and Coelurosaurs giving Cryolophosaurus a basal position in Theropoda.
Closer examination of how the skull bones fused together reviewed details in the snout and forehead that are especially similar to Dilophosaurus.
The holotype of Cryolophosaurus consists of a high, narrow skull, which was discovered articulated with the rest of the skeleton. The skull is an estimated 65 centimetres (26 in) long. It has a peculiar nasal crest that runs just over the eyes, where it rises up perpendicular to the skull and fans out. It is thin and highly furrowed, giving it a unique "pompadour" appearance and earned it the nickname "Elvisaurus." The crest is an extension of the skull bones, near the tear ducts, fused on either side to orbital horns which rise from the eye sockets. While other theropods like the Monolophosaurus have crests, they usually run along the skull instead of across it.
An unpublished study conducted by Vernon Meidlinger-Chin in 2013 suggested that previous studies lacked focus on endocranial details. The study found that the Cryolophosaurus fossil has a nearly complete, undistorted cranial cavity which is complete enough to give an approximate shape and size of the living brain. The endocast features clarified the dissimilarity of the skull with those of Allosauroids and Coelurosaurs giving Cryolophosaurus a basal position in Theropoda. Closer examination of how the skull bones fused together reviewed details in the snout and forehead that are especially similar to Dilophosaurus.
Cryolophosaurus