| Islet in the Sky | |
| Type: | Pillar |
| Elevation: | 5914feet |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Map: | Utah#USA |
| Relief: | y |
| Location: | Canyonlands National Park San Juan County, Utah, U.S. |
| Coordinates: | 38.364°N -109.8516°W |
| Geology: | Wingate Sandstone |
| Age: | Late Triassic |
| Topo: | USGS Monument Basin |
Islet in the Sky is a sandstone pillar located within Canyonlands National Park, in San Juan County, Utah, United States.[1] [2] It is situated in the Island in the Sky District of the park, one mile (1.6 km) east of the Island in the Sky paved road that leads to Grand View Point. This spire is composed of Wingate Sandstone, which is the remains of wind-borne sand dunes deposited approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic. Precipitation runoff from Islet in the Sky drains east to the nearby Colorado River via Buck Canyon. Access is via the White Rim Road which traverses between this remote spire and the river.
The first ascent of the summit was made by Ken Trout and Bruce Lella on November 22, 1979, via the north side.[3] The climbing route is rated .[1] Steve Bartlett climbed a new route, solo, in 1996.[4]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Islet in the Sky is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C) and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer.[5] This desert climate receives less than 10abbr=offNaNabbr=off of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter. Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Islet in the Sky.