Gunsight Butte

{{Short description|Mountain in Kane County, Utah, United States of America}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox mountain

|name = Gunsight Butte

|other_name =

|photo = Gunsight Butte, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon.jpg

|photo_caption = South aspect

|elevation_ft = 4678

|elevation_ref = {{cite web|url=https://listsofjohn.com/peak/24282|title=Gunsight Butte - 4,678' UT|website=listsofjohn.com|accessdate=2020-11-13}}

|prominence_ft = 1018

|prominence_ref =

|isolation_mi = 2.46

|isolation_ref =

|parent_peak = Romana Mesa

|map = Utah#USA

|map_caption = Location in Utah

|map_size = 230

|label_position = top

|location = Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Kane County, Utah, U.S.

|range = Colorado Plateau

|coordinates = {{coord|37.0612706|N|111.3354689|W|type:mountain_region:US-UT_scale:100000_source:GNIS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

|range_coordinates =

|coordinates_ref = {{cite gnis|id=1428443|name=Gunsight Butte|accessdate=2020-11-13}}

|topo = USGS Gunsight Butte

|rock = Entrada Sandstone

|age = Jurassic

|first_ascent =

|easiest_route =

}}

Gunsight Butte is a {{convert|4678|ft|m|adj=mid|-elevation}} sandstone summit located in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, in Kane County of southern Utah. It is situated {{convert|12|mi}} northeast of the town of Page. Gunsight Butte is an island that towers nearly {{convert|1000|ft}} above Lake Powell when the lake is full. This iconic landmark of the Lake Powell area is a butte composed primarily of Entrada Sandstone, similar to Padres Butte {{convert|3|mi}} to the east-southeast, and Dominguez Butte {{convert|4|mi}} to the southeast. The Entrada Sandstone of Gunsight Butte is overlain by Romana Sandstone, and capped by Morrison Formation.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lakepowell.org/documents/Lake%20Powell%20Geologic%20Guide.pdf |title=T.C. Chidsey, Jr., D.A. Sprinkel, G.C. Willis, P.B. Anderson Lake Powell Geologic Guide, page 63 |access-date=2020-11-13 |archive-date=2020-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814151533/http://www.lakepowell.org/documents/Lake%20Powell%20Geologic%20Guide.pdf |url-status=dead }} The Entrada Sandstone, which was originally deposited as sandy mud on a tidal flat, is believed to have formed about 160 million years ago during the Jurassic period as a giant sand sea, the largest in Earth's history. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Gunsight Butte is located in an arid climate zone with hot, very dry summers, and chilly winters with very little snow.{{cite journal | author = Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. | year = 2007 | title = Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification | journal = Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume = 11 |issue=5 |page=1633 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P | issn = 1027-5606 |doi-access=free }}