Cope Butte is a 3,754-foot (1,144 m) prominence adjacent the course of the Colorado River, in the Grand Canyon and sitting on the south side of Granite Gorge. The butte is roughly 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northwest of Grand Canyon Village of the central Grand Canyon. The butte has a narrow, triangular footprint, and contains a northwest-by-south slightly arcuate ridgeline spire. The prominence is near the north terminus of the sharp ridgeline, and is composed of white Surprise Canyon Formation.

Cope Butte
(view due-north)-Cope Butte on Granite Gorge, opposite Ninetyfour Mile Creek & Canyon, and Tower of Set
Highest point
Elevation4,528 ft (1,380 m)[1]
Prominence388 ft (118 m)[1]
Parent peakWhites Butte
Isolation2.02
Coordinates36°05′15″N 112°06′27″W / 36.0875°N 112.1074°W / 36.0875; -112.1074
Naming
EtymologyEdward Drinker Cope
Geography
Cope Butte is located in Arizona
Cope Butte
Cope Butte
LocationGrand Canyon
Coconino County, Arizona. U.S.
Topo mapUSPS Grand Canyon
Geology
Age of rockMesoproterozoic down to Proterozoic
Mountain typesedimentary rock
Type of rockUnknown?-prominence-
(Temple Butte Formation?)
Shinumo Quartzite
Hakatai Shale?
Bass Formation-(Bass Limestone)
Vishnu Basement Rocks-(at Granite Gorge)

Cope Butte drains west into the Hermit Canyon watershed (Hermit Creek); the east side of the butte sits on the terminus canyon of Monument Creek (Grand Canyon). Because Cope Butte sits on Granite Gorge (Tonto Platform, south side) the Tonto Trail traverses northwest-to-southeast around the butte's base. The Hermit Trail, from the south, and from Hermits Rest viewpoint (South Rim), excursions down Cathedral Stairs (red Supai Group units), and courses down the southwest base of the butte, to enter Lower Hermit Canyon.

Cope Butte, west aspect from Tonto Trail.
This feature honors American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope
Cope Butte centered in bullseye, with The Alligator behind it.
Looking east from Boucher Trail

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Cope Butte, AZ - 4,528' AZ". Lists of John. Retrieved January 15, 2021.

External links edit