Area 150 acres (61 ha) Address Colfax, WA 99111, USA Established 1946 | Designated 1965 Phone +1 509-337-6457 | |
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Location Whitman, Washington, United States
3,612 ft (1,101 m) Operator Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Website Steptoe Butte State Park Similar Mary M McCroskey State Park, Kamiak Butte County P, Best Western Wheatlan, Boyer Park & Marina, Palouse Chamber of Comm | ||
Composition tips from steptoe butte
Steptoe Butte is a quartzite island jutting out of the silty loess of the Palouse hills in Whitman County, Washington, in the northwest United States. The 3,612-foot (1,101 m) butte is preserved as Steptoe Butte State Park, a publicly owned 150-acre (61 ha) recreation area located 12 miles (19 km) east of Colfax. Steptoe Butte and Kamiak Butte comprise Steptoe and Kamiak Buttes National Natural Landmark.
Contents
Approaching steptoe butte
GeologyEdit
The rock that forms the butte is over 400 million years old, in contrast with the 15–7 million year old Columbia River Basalts that underlie the rest of the Palouse. Steptoe Butte has become an archetype, as isolated protrusions of bedrock, such as summits of hills or mountains, in lava flows have come to be called "steptoes."
HistoryEdit
The butte was named after Colonel Edward Steptoe. A hotel built by James S. "Cashup" Davis stood atop the butte from 1888 to 1908, burning down several years after it closed. In 1946, Virgil McCroskey donated 120 acres (49 ha) of land to form the park, which was later increased to over 150 acres (61 ha).
Activities and amenitiesEdit
A narrow paved road winds around the butte, leading to a parking area at the summit. The park offers picnicking facilities and an interpretive wayside exhibit. Popular activities include sight-seeing, hang gliding, kite and model airplane flying, and photography.