Aires Butte

Aires Butte
Southeast aspect, viewed from Highway 9
Highest point
Elevation	6,492 ft (1,979 m)
Prominence	572 ft (174 m)
Parent peak	Ant Hill (6,641 ft)
Isolation	0.90 mi (1.45 km)
Coordinates	37°13′57″N 112°54′27″W
Geography
Aires Butte Location within Utah Aires Butte Location within the United States
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Washington
Protected area	Zion National Park
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Springdale East
Geology
Rock age	Jurassic
Rock type	Navajo sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route	class 5.5 climbing

Aires Butte is a 6,492-foot (1,979 m) summit located in Zion National Park, in Washington County of southwest Utah, United States. It is composed of white Navajo Sandstone, and rises 1,100-foot (340-meter) above the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway. Aires Butte is situated 0.9 mi (1.4 km) east-northeast of Ant Hill, 1.5 mi (2.4 km) north of Nippletop, and 1.9 mi (3.1 km) northwest of Checkerboard Mesa. Precipitation runoff from this mountain drains into tributaries of the Virgin River.

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Aires Butte. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it 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. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.

Aires Butte, north aspect; Ant Hill is to the right

See also

• List of mountains in Utah
• Geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area
• Colorado Plateau

External links

• Zion National Park National Park Service
• Weather forecast: National Weather Service
• Climbing information
• Led by Sheep climbing route: lemkeclimbs.com