King Arthur Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King Arthur Castle |
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King Arthur Castle upper left with Guinevere Castle. Dox Castle to right. From the west.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,344 ft (2,238 m) |
| Prominence | 804 ft (245 m) |
| Isolation | 2.88 mi (4.63 km) |
| Parent peak | Elaine Castle (7,431 ft) |
| Geography | |
 King Arthur Castle
Location in Arizona
King Arthur Castle
Location in the United States
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| Location | Grand Canyon National Park Coconino County, Arizona, US |
| Parent range | Kaibab Plateau Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS King Arthur Castle |
| Type of rock | limestone, sandstone, mudstone |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1961, Merrel Clubb |
King Arthur Castle is a tall mountain peak in the Grand Canyon. It stands 7,344 feet (2,238 meters) high. This impressive summit is located in Coconino County, in northern Arizona, United States.
King Arthur Castle is near other famous Grand Canyon features. It is about half a mile northwest of Guinevere Castle. It is also one mile west of Excalibur. The peak rises over 5,100 feet (1,555 meters) above the Colorado River. This huge height difference happens over just 4.5 miles (7.2 km). The area has a cold semi-arid climate. Rainwater flows into Shinumo Creek, which then drains into the Colorado River.
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History of King Arthur Castle's Name
The tradition of naming Grand Canyon features after myths began with Clarence Dutton. He was a geologist who explored the canyon. King Arthur Castle got its name in 1902. Richard Tranter Evans (1881–1966) named it. He was a Welsh mapmaker. Evans was mapping the Grand Canyon in the early 1900s.
He named it after Camelot, the legendary fortress of King Arthur. This was part of his plan to name nearby places after characters and items from the King Arthur legends. Other names he gave include Guinevere Castle, Elaine Castle, and Excalibur. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially accepted the name in 1908. Evans Butte, another nearby peak, is named after Richard T. Evans himself.
Guinevere Castle's Name
Guinevere Castle is 7,281 feet tall. It is connected to King Arthur Castle by a high ridge. This peak is named after Guinevere, who was King Arthur's wife and queen. Richard T. Evans also named Guinevere Castle. Its name was officially adopted in 1908.
First Climbs of the Peaks
The first person to climb King Arthur Castle was Merrel Clubb. He made his successful climb in 1961. It was his third try, and it took him four days to reach the top. This was his last climb in the Grand Canyon. Another famous climber, Harvey Butchart, climbed both King Arthur Castle and Guinevere Castle on August 25, 1965.
Geology of King Arthur Castle
The very top of King Arthur Castle is made of Kaibab Limestone. This rock formed during the Permian period. Below that is cream-colored Coconino Sandstone, also from the Permian period. This sandstone formed about 265 million years ago from ancient sand dunes.
Underneath the Coconino Sandstone is the reddish Hermit Formation. This rock layer also formed during the Permian period. Below that are rocks from the Supai Group, which formed during the Pennsylvanian and Permian periods. Even further down, you can find the cliff-forming Redwall Limestone from the Mississippian period. Then there's the Tonto Group from the Cambrian period. Finally, at the bottom, near the creek, are rocks from the Unkar Group, which are from the Proterozoic era.
Images for kids
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R.T. Evans, 1957
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King Arthur Castle centered, Guinevere to right, Dox Castle to left. circa 1901
