King-on-his-Throne

King-on-his-Throne
King-on-his-Throne
	North aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,165 ft (1,879 m)
Prominence	200 ft (61 m)
Parent peak	Brighams Tomb (6,739 ft)
Isolation	0.4 mi (0.64 km)
Coordinates	37°02′24″N 110°04′44″W / 37.0398989°N 110.0790021°W
Geography
	King-on-his-Throne Location in Utah King-on-his-Throne King-on-his-Throne (the United States)
Location	Monument Valley; San Juan County, Utah, U.S.
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Monument Pass
Geology
Rock age	Permian
Mountain type	Butte
Rock type	Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent	1967

King-on-his-Throne is a 6,165-foot-elevation (1,879-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.^[1]

Description

King-on-his-Throne is situated 4.4 miles (7.1 km) north-northeast of the Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitor Center, on Navajo Nation land. It is an iconic landform of Monument Valley and can be seen from Highway 163. Precipitation runoff from this landform's slopes drains into the San Juan River drainage basin.^[3] Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 565 feet (172 meters) above the surrounding terrain in 0.2 mile (0.32 km). This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.^[1] It is so named because the butte resembles a king sitting on a throne looking south to the valley.^[4] The first ascent of the summit was made in 1967 by Fred Beckey, Marlene Dalluge, Joe Brown, and Don Liska.^[5]

Geology

King-on-his-Throne is composed of two principal strata. The bottom layer is slope-forming Organ Rock Shale and the upper stratum is cliff-forming De Chelly Sandstone. The rock was deposited during the Permian period. The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone.^[6]

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit King-on-his-Throne. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Summers average 54 days above 90 °F (32 °C) annually, and highs rarely exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Summer nights are comfortably cool, and temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Winters are cold, but daytime highs are usually above freezing. Winter temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) are uncommon, though possible. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.^[7]

Gallery

West aspect
West aspect, with dusting of autumn snow
L→R: King-on-his-Throne, Stagecoach, Bear and Rabbit, Castle Rock
L→R: Brighams Tomb, King-on-his-Throne, Stagecoach, Bear and Rabbit, Castle Rock
Castle Rock left, King-on-his-Throne (center) Brighams Tomb to right.
View looking southwest from Highway 163.
Forrest Gump was here. (culmination of cross-country running scene)
Brighams Tomb (left), King-on-his-Throne, Castle Rock (center), Big Indian (right)
L→R: Brighams Tomb, King-on-his-Throne, Stagecoach, Bear and Rabbit, Castle Rock
Left to rightː Big Indian, Brighams Tomb, King-on-his-Throne, Castle Rock.
Camera pointed north.