Big Indian (Utah)
Big Indian is a  summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.

Description
Big Indian is situated  north-northeast of the Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitor Center, on Navajo Nation land. It is an iconic landform of Monument Valley and can be seen from Highway 163. Precipitation runoff from this landform's slopes drains into the San Juan River drainage basin. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises  above the surrounding terrain in 0.25 mile (0.4 km). The nearest higher summit is Sentinel Mesa,  to the southwest. This landform's toponym was officially adopted in 1964 by the United States Board on Geographic Names. It is so named because the butte resembles the face of a native American looking south-southeast into the valley.Monument Valley, City of Aztec, aztecnm.com, Retrieved 2024-08-28. "Big Chief" and "Big Indian Butte" were alternate names that were ultimately rejected.United States Board on Geographic Names, Decisions on Geographic Names in the United States, Decision List No. 6403, 1965, page 45.
 
Geology
Big Indian is composed of two principal strata. The bottom layer is slope-forming Organ Rock Shale underlaying cliff-forming De Chelly Sandstone. The rock was deposited during the Permian period. The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone.Monument Valley, Arizona, Arizona Geological Survey, Retrieved 2024-08-24.

Climate
Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Big Indian. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a semi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Summers average 54 days above  annually, and highs rarely exceed . Summer nights are comfortably cool, and temperatures drop quickly after sunset. Winters are cold, but daytime highs are usually above freezing. Winter temperatures below  are uncommon, though possible. This desert climate receives less than  of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.Climate Summary for Kayenta, Arizona

Gallery

See also
 List of appearances of Monument Valley in the media

References

External links
 Weather: Big Indian

Category:Colorado Plateau
Category:Landforms of San Juan County, Utah
Category:North American 1000 m summits
Category:Geography of the Navajo Nation
Category:Sandstone formations of the United States