Elephant Butte (Monument Valley)

Elephant Butte
Elephant Butte
	West-southwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	5,981 ft (1,823 m)
Prominence	681 ft (208 m)
Parent peak	Mitchell Mesa (6,586 ft)
Isolation	1.42 mi (2.29 km)
Coordinates	36°57′42″N110°04′41″W / 36.9616625°N 110.0781697°W
Geography
	Elephant Butte Location in Arizona Elephant Butte Elephant Butte (the United States)
Location	Monument Valley ; Navajo County, Arizona, U.S.
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Mitten Buttes
Geology
Mountain type	Butte
Type of rock	Sandstone

Last updated August 31, 2024

Elephant Butte is a 5,981-foot-elevation (1,823-meter) summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.

Description

Elephant Butte is situated 2.3 miles (3.7 km) southeast of the Monument Valley visitor center on Navajo Nation land. Precipitation runoff from this butte's slopes drains into Gypsum Creek which is a tributary of the San Juan River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 900 feet (274 meters) above the surrounding terrain in 0.25 mile (0.4 km). The nearest higher neighbor is Three Sisters, 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the southwest.^[1] The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names,^[2] and the descriptive name refers to the resemblance of an elephant's profile viewed from a south perspective.^[3]

Geology

Elephant Butte is a butte ccomposed of three principal strata. The bottom layer is slope-forming Organ Rock Shale, the next stratum is cliff-forming De Chelly Sandstone, and the upper layer is Moenkopi Formation. The rock ranges in age from Permian at the bottom to Early Triassic at the top. The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone.^[4]

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Elephant 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.^[5]

Gallery

Northwest aspect
Looking north through Monument Valley's North Window Viewpoint.
South aspect of Elephant Butte to the left.
East aspect
Spearhead Mesa (left), Elephant Butte (center), Camel Butte (right)
Southwest aspect
Merrick Butte (left) and Elephant Butte (right)
WSW aspect
Elephant Butte (right) viewed from John Ford Point
Southeast aspect of Elephant Butte viewed from North Window Overlook
West-southwest aspect Elephant Butte

Related Research Articles

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.

Owl Rock is a 6,547-foot elevation sandstone summit located south of Monument Valley, in northeast Arizona. It is situated 7 miles (11 km) north of Kayenta on Navajo Nation land, and can be seen from Highway 163 perched on the east edge of Tyende Mesa, where it towers 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. Its nearest higher neighbor is Agathla Peak, 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the east-northeast, on the opposite side of this highway. Precipitation runoff from this feature drains into El Capitan Wash, which is part of the San Juan River drainage basin. The first ascent of Owl Rock was made in April 1966 by Fred Beckey and Harvey Carter by climbing cracks on the west face, and then bolting up a smooth south nose to the summit. They employed 20 pitons and 14 bolts on this route called Warpath. The descriptive name stems from its uncanny resemblance to an owl when viewed from the east. This feature is known as Bee 'Adizí in Navajo language meaning "spindle", and this sacred place is considered to be a spindle left behind by the Holy People. A newer name for it is Tsé Ts'óózí, meaning "Slim Rock".

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.

Cly Butte is a 5,820-foot-elevation (1,774-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.

References

1 2 3 4 5 "Elephant Butte - 5,981' AZ". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
1 2 "Elephant Butte". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-08-26.
↑ Monument Valley, City of Aztec, aztecnm.com, Retrieved 2024-08-26.
↑ Monument Valley, Arizona, Arizona Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-08-24.
↑ Climate Summary for Kayenta, Arizona

External links

Weather forecast: Elephant Butte

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[listsofjohn-1] 1 2 3 4 5 "Elephant Butte - 5,981' AZ". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-26.

[gnis-2] 1 2 "Elephant Butte". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-08-26.

[3] Monument Valley, City of Aztec, aztecnm.com, Retrieved 2024-08-26.

[4] Monument Valley, Arizona, Arizona Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-08-24.

[5] Climate Summary for Kayenta, Arizona

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