Gunsight Butte

Gunsight Butte is a 4,678-foot-elevation (1,426 m) sandstone summit located in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, in Kane County of southern Utah.^[2] It is situated 12 miles (19 km) northeast of the town of Page. Gunsight Butte is an island that towers nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) above Lake Powell when the lake is full. This iconic landmark of the Lake Powell area is a butte composed primarily of Entrada Sandstone, similar to Padres Butte 3 miles (4.8 km) to the east-southeast, and Dominguez Butte 4 miles (6.4 km) to the southeast. The Entrada Sandstone of Gunsight Butte is overlain by Romana Sandstone, and capped by Morrison Formation.^[3] The Entrada Sandstone, which was originally deposited as sandy mud on a tidal flat, is believed to have formed about 160 million years ago during the Jurassic period as a giant sand sea, the largest in Earth's history. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Gunsight Butte is located in an arid climate zone with hot, very dry summers, and chilly winters with very little snow.^[4]

Gunsight Butte
South aspect
Highest point
Elevation	4,678 ft (1,426 m)[1]
Prominence	1,018 ft (310 m)[1]
Parent peak	Romana Mesa[1]
Isolation	2.46 mi (3.96 km)[1]
Coordinates	37°03′41″N 111°20′08″W[2]
Geography
Gunsight Butte Location in Utah Show map of Utah Gunsight Butte Gunsight Butte (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Kane County, Utah, U.S.
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Gunsight Butte
Geology
Rock age	Jurassic
Rock type	Entrada Sandstone

See also

• Colorado Plateau
• List of rock formations in the United States

Gallery

• 
  Gunsight Butte seen from the west at Alstrom Point
• 
  Gunsight Butte seen from Alstrom Point
• 
  Below the south peak of Gunsight Butte
• 
  Gunsight Butte centered in lake
• 
• 
• 
• 
  East aspect

References

1. "Gunsight Butte - 4,678' UT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
2. "Gunsight Butte". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
3. "T.C. Chidsey, Jr., D.A. Sprinkel, G.C. Willis, P.B. Anderson Lake Powell Geologic Guide, page 63" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
4. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606.

External links

• Weather forecast: National Weather Service
• Gunsight Butte prior to Lake Powell: Aerial photo
• Photo of east aspect by Barry Goldwater