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Elephant Butte
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Standard (West Fins) 

Elephant Butte 


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Administrators: Andrew Gram, Perin Blanchard, grk10vq, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: toddgordon on May 5, 2007

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Read about Anchor Replacement and Restrictions in Arches National Park MORE INFO >>>


Steve Swanke and friend at the summit of Arche's H...

Description 

I believe this is the high point of Arches Nat. Park, at 5,653 feet. I doubt if this butte gets climbed too often, but for high point seekers, it's a good adventure.


Getting There 

I believe you start at the Garden of Eden Parking lot ( Same as for Owl Rock), but the butte is over by the windows area...down the road a piece.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Elephant Butte:
Standard (West Fins)   5.3     Trad, 1 pitch, 1100 feet   
Browse More Classics in Elephant Butte

Featured Route For Elephant Butte
The rubble filled gully is the key to this route on Elephant Butte.

Standard (West Fins) 5.3  UT : Moab Area : ... : Elephant Butte
Hike past Owl Rock and into the drainage on the south side of Elephant Butte. Look for a rubble filled gully leading up between two fins (see photos) and head up into it. As it narrows and ends, you will see a small fin that comes down. Climb the fin and continue up into the next meadow. Leave the meadow on the right and follow a bowl up as it steepens and dead-ends at a short wall. This wall is the crux and can be climbed on either the left or right side at about 5.3-5.4. Once above the wa...[more]   Browse More Classics in UT


Comments on Elephant Butte Add Comment
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By George Bell
From: Boulder, CO
May 7, 2007

Indeed I believe Elephant Butte is the highest point in Arches National Park. Gerry Roach has a new guidebook coming out on climbing the highest point in each National Park. Look for it ...

By Aaron Ihinger
From: Telluride,CO
Dec 4, 2009

Just ventured here for the first time. Fun adventure to a promiment place to be sure, but a 5.4,A1 rating is way over the top. Let's call it a stiff scramble worthy of a short belay at the crux with some route finding along the way and a couple of rappels. More of a canyoneering trek than a climb... I'll go as far as a 5.2 rating, but that's tops. Just do it, it's a N.P. highpoint for goodness sake! if you need any aid at all, it's just some good beta so as not to get lost and frustrated. As with all sandstone canyoneering, take your harness off when not rappelling and it will serve you far longer. A 60M rope is nice for the spiral approach rappel (but not necessary), because it can get pinched and require an upclimb to retrieve it anyway and a 30M rope is more than enough for the free rappel on the way out.