Red Butte rises sharply above the Coconino Plateau, like a gatekeeper of the Grand Canyon. It is the only significant landmark for miles upon miles of flat desert between the South Rim and the San Francisco Peaks.

It is sacred to the Havasupai. They call it Wii’i Gdwiisa, or “clenched fist mountain.”

The hike to the summit is a simple 2 mile round trip, with less than 1,000 feet of elevation change. The trailhead is approximately 3 miles east of Highway 64.

Twelve miles south of Tusayan, turn onto Forest Road 320. Turn left on FR 340, and right on FR 340A. The intersections are signed. The roads are secondary, but they’re typically in good shape and do not require a high-clearance 4wd vehicle. FR 340A comes to a dead-end at the trailhead.

The San Francisco Peaks dominate the view to the south, with little more than an expance of flat, wide-open desert between here and there.

A horned lizard! I had never seen one of these before, and he was polite enough to linger for a good photo.

The summit is topped with this fire lookout tower. I did not check the door to see if it was locked. I’ve heard that it’s still in-use and occupied, though I didnt’ see anybody there… maybe only in the summer months?

The view to the north/northeast – the strip on the horizon is the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Supposedly the old Grand Canyon Airport is somewhere in this area, north of Red Butte. It was active until the current airport near Tusayan was built in the 1960′s. I’ve seen photos of an old hangar that’s still down there somewhere. I didn’t know of its existence until after this hike, so obviously I did not know to look for it.

The shadow of Red Butte stretches far to east at sunset.