Padres Butte, Summit and hill in San Juan County, Utah, US
Padres Butte is a rocky hill in San Juan County, Utah, near the tip of Padre Point on the south shore of Lake Powell. It has a flat top and slopes made of Entrada Sandstone, which appears in layered bands of earthy color.
The name Padres Butte was officially given in 1961 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, recalling the early Spanish explorers who traveled through this region. Not far from here stood the Crossing of the Fathers, a historic ford on the Colorado River used by travelers before the lake was created.
Padres Butte sits within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a protected stretch of the Colorado Plateau. Visitors who walk through the area notice how the rocks and the water level of Lake Powell together shape a wide, open landscape.
The terrain around Padres Butte is rocky and steep in places, so solid footwear and plenty of water are strongly recommended. The site is fully exposed to the weather and has little shade, making a visit during the cooler parts of the day more comfortable.
Padres Butte was once an island in Lake Powell, but as water levels dropped over the years, the surrounding land connected it to Padre Point and made the hill reachable on foot. This connection is not permanent, and a rise in water levels could turn it back into an island.
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