Buttes of the Cross, Sandstone buttes in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah

Buttes of the Cross consists of two Wingate Sandstone summits in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Wayne County, Utah. The south butte reaches 5,642 feet (1,720 m) and the north butte 5,569 feet, about 0.6 miles (0.97 km) apart. They rise over 1,400 feet above the surrounding terrain, capped by Kayenta Formation above softer Chinle layers.

Explorer John Wesley Powell named these formations during his Geographic Expedition in 1869, initially viewing them as a single butte from Labyrinth Canyon. The naming reflects early exploration and mapping of this remote area of the canyon country.

Climbing history here is documented route by route. Paul Horton and Lynn Watson made the first ascent of the North Butte on May 25, 1987, via West Chimneys. In 1994 John Rosholt and Keen Butterworth climbed the South Butte by The Epicurean route, rated class 5.10c, on the north face.

These formations are located roughly a mile outside Canyonlands National Park boundaries and remain relatively remote from main roads. Viewing them typically requires driving on unpaved roads and walking from established vantage points to get the best perspective.

The cross shape appears only from the north-northeast near Labyrinth Canyon, where the two summits align as one. John Wesley Powell applied the name in 1869, then found from the east that the feature was two buttes and renamed it. The north butte was first climbed on May 25, 1987, by Paul Horton and Lynn Watson via West Chimneys.