Cly Butte | |
---|---|
![]() East aspect | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 5,820 ft (1,774 m) [1] [2] |
Prominence | 520 ft (158 m) [1] |
Parent peak | Camel Butte (5,847 ft) [1] |
Isolation | 0.49 mi (0.79 km) [1] |
Coordinates | 36°57′17″N110°04′08″W / 36.9546015°N 110.0689360°W [3] |
Geography | |
Location | Monument Valley Navajo County, Arizona, U.S. |
Parent range | Colorado Plateau [2] |
Topo map | USGS Mitten Buttes |
Geology | |
Age of rock | Permian |
Mountain type | Butte |
Type of rock | Sandstone |
Cly Butte is a 5,820-foot-elevation (1,774-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Cly Butte is situated three miles (4.8 km) southeast of the Monument Valley visitor center on Navajo Nation land. Precipitation runoff from this butte's slopes drains to Gypsum Creek which is a tributary of the San Juan River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 600 feet (183 meters) above the surrounding terrain in 0.1 mile (0.16 km). The nearest higher neighbor is Camel Butte, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the west. [2] The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, [3] and the name refers to a Navajo chief named Cly who is buried at the base of this butte. [3] [4]
Cly Butte is a butte composed of two principal strata. The bottom layer is slope-forming Organ Rock Shale and the upper stratum is cliff-forming De Chelly Sandstone. The rock was deposited during the Permian period. The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone. [5]
Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Cly Butte. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Summers average 54 days above 90 °F (32 °C) annually, and highs rarely exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Summer nights are comfortably cool, and temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Winters are cold, but daytime highs are usually above freezing. Winter temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) are uncommon, though possible. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter. [6]
Monument Valley is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, with the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. The most famous butte formations are located in northeastern Arizona along the Utah–Arizona state line. The valley is considered sacred by the Navajo Nation, the Native American people within whose reservation it lies.
Boundary Butte is a 4,934-foot elevation sandstone summit located south of Lake Powell, in extreme southwestern San Juan County, Utah, United States, just north of the Arizona border. It is situated on Navajo Nation land, 11.5 miles (18.5 km) northeast of the town of Page, and towers 1,200 feet above the lake as a landmark of the area. It lies on the Utah-Arizona border, hence its name.
Sentinel Mesa is a 6,450-foot-elevation (1,966-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States. It is situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the Monument Valley visitor center on Navajo Nation land and can be seen from Highway 163. The mesa is immediately northwest of the iconic West and East Mitten Buttes. The nearest higher neighbor is Brighams Tomb, 2.64 miles (4.25 km) to the north-northeast. Precipitation runoff from this mesa's west slope drains to Mitchell Butte Wash, whereas the east slope drains to West Gypsum Creek, which are both part of the San Juan River drainage basin. The "Sentinel" name refers to how the mesa oversees Monument Valley which the Navajo consider as one of the "door posts" to Monument Valley. The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Eagle Mesa is a 6,624-foot-elevation (2,019-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.
Brighams Tomb is a 6,739-foot-elevation (2,054-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.
Mitchell Mesa is a 6,586-foot-elevation (2,007-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Spearhead Mesa is a 5,998-foot-elevation (1,828-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Rain God Mesa is a 5,921-foot-elevation (1,805-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Camel Butte is a 5,847-foot-elevation (1,782-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Elephant Butte is a 5,981-foot-elevation (1,823-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Setting Hen is a 6,293-foot-elevation (1,918-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.
Mitchell Butte is a 6,383-foot-elevation (1,946-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Gray Whiskers is a 6,385-foot-elevation (1,946-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Castle Rock is a 6,340-foot-elevation (1,932-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.
Big Indian is a 6,120-foot-elevation (1,865-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.
Rooster Rock is a 5,985-foot-elevation (1,824-meter) summit in Apache County, Arizona, United States.
Thunderbird Mesa is a 5,814-foot-elevation (1,772-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
King-on-his-Throne is a 6,165-foot-elevation (1,879-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.
Stagecoach is a 6,302-foot-elevation (1,921-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.
Castle Butte is a 5,700-foot-elevation (1,737-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.