King-on-his-Throne
King-on-his-Throne is a  summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.

Description
King-on-his-Throne 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 0.2 mile (0.32 km). This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. It is so named because the butte resembles a king sitting on a throne looking south to the valley.Monument Valley, City of Aztec, aztecnm.com, Retrieved 2024-08-28. The first ascent of the summit was made in 1967 by Fred Beckey, Marlene Dalluge, Joe Brown, and Don Liska.First Ascent Timeline, deserttowersbook.com, Retrieved 2024-08-28.
 
Geology
King-on-his-Throne is composed of two principal strata. The bottom layer is slope-forming Organ Rock Shale and the upper stratum is 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 King-on-his-Throne. 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: King-on-his-Throne

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
Category:Buttes of Utah