Kamiak Butte
Encyclopedia
Kamiak Butte County Park is located in Whitman County
, Washington between the towns of Palouse
and Pullman in Eastern Washington, near the border of Idaho. It is named after Chief Kamiakin
of the Yakama
tribe.
Most of the park's 298 acres (120.6 ha) consist of timberland on the northern slopes of Kamiak Butte (not actually a butte
) . The mountain itself is a "island," consisting of Precambrian
quartzite
projecting approximately 1000 feet (304.8 m) above the surrounding wheat fields. The reddish rocks once formed the bed of an ancient sea, and the grains of sand embedded in them can still be seen glittering in the sun. Later in its geological history, Kamiak Butte became part of a mountain range which was eventually nearly engulfed by the tertiary
lava flows
that covered most of Eastern Washington in a layer of basalt
.
The region's intensive wheat and lentil farming has made Kamiak Butte an important haven for indigenous plant and animal species. 170 plant species, 130 bird species, and 30 mammal species have been observed inside the park.
For most visitors, the park's chief attraction is the Pine Ridge Trail, a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) loop which begins at a parking area and climbs through evergreen forestland to an exposed ridge. The trail continues along the ridge, affording spectacular views of the surrounding palouse
country before dropping back into the forest. A short "summit spur" leads to the mountain's highest point - a rocky promontory on the west side with an elevation of 3641 feet (1,109.8 m). Camping is available all year, except during periods of drought, when it is often prohibited due to fire danger. Interpretive programs are offered in the spring and summer months; other amenities include an amphitheater, picnic tables, outdoor grills, covered shelters, restrooms, and a playground.
For ham/amateur radio operators, the Kamiak Butte Amateur Repeater Association maintains two of their 9 near the top of the mountain. The frequencies are 146.74 MHz, with a .600 KHz negative offset (the 2 meter repeater), and 53.75 MHz, with a 1.7 MHz negative offset, and a PL Tone of 100 Hz (the 6 meter repeater). The KBARA Repeaters are also part of Washington State's Evergreen Intertie, a statewide amateur radio repeater/emergency communications linking system.
Kamiak Butte is a National Natural Landmark
, and Pine Ridge Trail is listed as a National Recreation Trail
within the National Trails System
.
Whitman County, Washington
Whitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 44,776, with the majority living in its largest city, Pullman, home to Washington State University, the state's land-grant university. The county seat is at Colfax.Whitman County was...
, Washington between the towns of Palouse
Palouse, Washington
Palouse is a city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 998 at the 2010 census. Palouse is named for the region of farmland in which it is situated, and was incorporated in 1888.-History:...
and Pullman in Eastern Washington, near the border of Idaho. It is named after Chief Kamiakin
Chief Kamiakin
Chief Kamiakin was a leader of the Yakama, Palouse, and Klickitat.-Early years:Kamiakin was born about 1800 near present-day Starbuck, Washington. His name means "He Won't Go" derived from ka - miah - kamman...
of the Yakama
Yakama
The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, or simply Yakama Nation , is a Native American group with nearly 10,000 enrolled members, living in Washington. Their reservation, along the Yakima River, covers an area of approximately 1.2 million acres...
tribe.
Most of the park's 298 acres (120.6 ha) consist of timberland on the northern slopes of Kamiak Butte (not actually a butte
Butte
A butte is a conspicuous isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; it is smaller than mesas, plateaus, and table landform tables. In some regions, such as the north central and northwestern United States, the word is used for any hill...
) . The mountain itself is a "island," consisting of Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
projecting approximately 1000 feet (304.8 m) above the surrounding wheat fields. The reddish rocks once formed the bed of an ancient sea, and the grains of sand embedded in them can still be seen glittering in the sun. Later in its geological history, Kamiak Butte became part of a mountain range which was eventually nearly engulfed by the tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
lava flows
Columbia River Basalt Group
The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California...
that covered most of Eastern Washington in a layer of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
.
For most visitors, the park's chief attraction is the Pine Ridge Trail, a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) loop which begins at a parking area and climbs through evergreen forestland to an exposed ridge. The trail continues along the ridge, affording spectacular views of the surrounding palouse
Palouse
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...
country before dropping back into the forest. A short "summit spur" leads to the mountain's highest point - a rocky promontory on the west side with an elevation of 3641 feet (1,109.8 m). Camping is available all year, except during periods of drought, when it is often prohibited due to fire danger. Interpretive programs are offered in the spring and summer months; other amenities include an amphitheater, picnic tables, outdoor grills, covered shelters, restrooms, and a playground.
For ham/amateur radio operators, the Kamiak Butte Amateur Repeater Association maintains two of their 9 near the top of the mountain. The frequencies are 146.74 MHz, with a .600 KHz negative offset (the 2 meter repeater), and 53.75 MHz, with a 1.7 MHz negative offset, and a PL Tone of 100 Hz (the 6 meter repeater). The KBARA Repeaters are also part of Washington State's Evergreen Intertie, a statewide amateur radio repeater/emergency communications linking system.
Kamiak Butte is a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
, and Pine Ridge Trail is listed as a National Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail is a designation given to existing trails that contribute to health, conservation, and recreation goals in the United States. Over 1,000 trails in all 50 U.S. states, available for public use and ranging from less than a mile to in length, have been designated as NRTs...
within the National Trails System
National Trails System
The National Trails System was created by the National Trails System Act The Act created a series of National trails "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nation." Specifically,...
.