Buttes of the Cross

Two distinct sandstone summits stand 0.6 miles apart, with the south butte reaching 5,642 feet and the north butte rising to 5,569 feet.

John Wesley Powell named these formations during his Geographic Expedition of 1869, initially thinking they were a single butte when viewed from Labyrinth Canyon.

The first climbing achievements occurred in 1987 on the North Butte by Paul Horton and Lynn Watson, followed by the South Butte ascent in 1994.

The formations tower 1,400 feet above the surrounding terrain and sit half a mile outside the boundary of Canyonlands National Park.

When observed from the north-northeast near Labyrinth Canyon, the two summits create an optical illusion, appearing as a single formation in the shape of a cross.

Location: Wayne County

Elevation above the sea: 1,720 m

GPS coordinates: 38.36276,-110.05318

Latest update: March 4, 2025 00:27