Steptoe Butte State Park
Encyclopedia
Steptoe Butte State Park in Whitman County, Washington
is one of the Washington State Parks
. It consists of 150 acres (60.7 ha) centered on a 3612 feet (1,100.9 m) natural quartzite
monument named Steptoe Butte
that looms above the surrounding plains 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Colfax
.
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...
is one of the Washington State Parks
Washington State Park System
The Washington State Park System is a set of state parks owned by the state government of Washington, USA. They are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. As of 2011, the parks are primarily funded through the state's general fund, augmented by usage fees...
. It consists of 150 acres (60.7 ha) centered on a 3612 feet (1,100.9 m) natural 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...
monument named Steptoe Butte
Steptoe Butte
Steptoe Butte is a quartzite island jutting out of the silty loess of the Palouse hills in Whitman County, Washington. It is contained by Steptoe Butte State Park. The rock that forms the butte is over 400 million years old, in contrast with the 15–7 million year old Columbia River basalts that...
that looms above the surrounding plains 12 miles (19.3 km) east of Colfax
Colfax, Washington
Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County, Washington, United States.The population was 2,805 at the 2010 census.It is situated amidst wheat-covered hills in a valley at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Palouse River. U.S...
.