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RED BUTTE
Kaibab National Forest
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| Looking north toward Grand Canyon |
Impossible to miss along AZ64 twenty miles south of the
Grand Canyon, the russet stone pinnacle
known as Red Butte commands the landscape. Rising 866 feet
above the flatlands of the Colorado Plateau, this geological wonder is
comprised of ancient layers of sand, ocean deposits and river rubble capped
with a layer of inky basalt. Over
the past 270 million years, the forces of nature have whittled away much of the
rock, but the basalt cap preserved this sugarloaf-shaped cross section of earth
history for us to climb. A clean
trail ascends the west face in a series of gradually steepening switchbacks with
excellent views all the way up. On
the summit, footpaths wander among scenic viewpoints, forest service relics, survey
markers (see if you can locate all 8 of them) and a lookout tower which is
staffed during fire season. To the north, a primitive airstrip stretches across juniper
and sagebrush plains with hazy views of the Grand Canyon shimmering on the
horizon while the silhouettes of the San Francisco Peaks and Bill Williams
Mountain are visible to the south.
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| Fire tower on the summit |
LENGTH: 2.5 miles roundtrip
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION:
6460' - 7426'
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| Bill Williams Mountain on the horizon |
GETTING THERE:
From Flagstaff, go north on US 180 to the AZ 64 junction in
Valle. Turn north (right) and continue 11 miles to FR 320 at milepost 224. Turn right and go 1.3 miles to FR 340,
turn left and drive 0.9 mile to the FR340A, turn right and continue 0.3 mile to
the trailhead. Dirt roads are sedan friendly and well signed.
INFO:
Tusayan Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest,
928-638-2443
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| Access roads are well signed |
MORE PHOTOS:
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