Nature
Camel Butte is a 5,847-foot summit in Monument Valley on Navajo Nation land in northeastern Arizona, known for a camel-like profile facing west. Rising sharply from the valley floor, it stands out through steep local relief rather than great overall height. Its slopes drain into Gypsum Creek, a tributary of the San Juan River. The butte is formed from Permian rock layers, with softer Organ Rock Shale below and harder De Chelly Sandstone above. Erosion shaped it, as the shale wore away faster and left the sandstone caprock prominent over the surrounding desert. It stands in a semi-arid climate with hot summers, cold winters, light snowfall, and little annual rainfall.
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Arizona · United States
