| Camel Butte | |
| Elevation Ft: | 5847 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 507 |
| Isolation Mi: | 0.5 |
| Parent Peak: | Elephant Butte (5,981 ft) |
| Map: | Arizona#USA |
| Map Size: | 230 |
| Label Position: | bottom |
| Location: | Navajo Nation Navajo County, Arizona, U.S. |
| Range: | Colorado Plateau |
| Coordinates: | 36.953°N -110.0779°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [2] |
| Topo: | USGS Mitten Buttes |
| Rock: | Sandstone |
| Type: | Butte |
| Age: | Permian |
Camel Butte is a 5847feet summit in Navajo County, Arizona, United States.
Camel Butte is situated 2.75miles southeast of the Monument Valley visitor center on Navajo Nation land. Precipitation runoff from this butte's slopes drains into Gypsum Creek which is a tributary of the San Juan River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 550abbr=offNaNabbr=off above the surrounding terrain in 0.1 mile (0.16 km). The nearest higher neighbor is Elephant Butte, to the north.[1] The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names,[2] and the descriptive name refers to the resemblance of a camel sitting and facing west.[3]
Camel Butte is a butte 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.[4]
Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Camel Butte. 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 annually, and highs rarely exceed 100°F. 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 are uncommon, though possible. This desert climate receives less than 10abbr=offNaNabbr=off of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.[5]