Aspen Butte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aspen Butte |
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 Aspen Butte
Location in Oregon
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,215 ft (2,504 m) NAVD 88 |
| Prominence | 3,088 ft (941 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Klamath County, Oregon, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Aspen Lake |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 4.9-3.5 Ma |
| Mountain type | Shield volcano |
| Volcanic arc | Cascade Volcanic Arc |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Trail |
Aspen Butte is a tall, cone-shaped mountain in southern Oregon. It is actually a type of volcano called a shield volcano. You can find it in the beautiful Cascade Range.
This mountain is about 15 miles (24 km) south of Pelican Butte. It is also 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Mount McLoughlin. Aspen Butte stands more than 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) above Upper Klamath Lake.
About Aspen Butte
Aspen Butte is a very old volcano. It formed between 4.9 and 3.5 million years ago. Over time, Ice Age glaciers helped shape it. These huge ice sheets carved out three big bowl-shaped hollows. These hollows are called cirques.
The cirques are on the north and northeast sides of the mountain. They removed much of the original top of the volcano. This means any signs of a crater are now gone. Today, the highest point is along a curved ridge. This ridge forms the southern edge of the cirques, above steep cliffs.
Other Volcanoes Nearby
Aspen Butte is the tallest of four shield volcanoes in the Mountain Lakes Wilderness. All of these volcanoes have been shaped by glaciers.
The other volcanoes are:
- Mount Harriman, which is 7,979 feet (2,432 meters) tall.
- Crater Mountain, which is 7,785 feet (2,373 meters) tall.
- Greylock Mountain, which is 7,741 feet (2,359 meters) tall.
Mount Carmine and Little Aspen Butte
There is another peak called Mount Carmine. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Aspen Butte. Mount Carmine is 7,882 feet (2,402 meters) tall. It is not a separate volcano. Instead, it is the highest part of Aspen Butte's northern side. Two glacial cirques separate it from the main volcano.
Little Aspen Butte is a smaller cone on the southern side of the main volcano. It is 7,235 feet (2,205 meters) tall. A pass that is 6,556 feet (1,998 meters) high separates it from Aspen Butte.
