Monster Tower facts for kids

Monster Tower is a really tall sandstone rock formation, about 600 feet (183 meters) high! You can find it in the Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands National Park in Utah, United States. It's a popular spot for climbers and a cool sight for visitors.

Quick facts for kids Monster Tower
Monster Tower upper right, south aspect
Highest point
Elevation	5,835 ft (1,779 m)
Prominence	395 ft (120 m)
Isolation	3.91 mi (6.29 km)
Parent peak	Aztec Butte (6,312 ft)
Geography
Monster Tower Location in Utah Show map of Utah Monster Tower Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Canyonlands National Park San Juan County, Utah, U.S.
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Musselman Arch
Geology
Age of rock	Late Triassic
Type of rock	Wingate Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent	December 26, 1963
Easiest route	class 5.11 Climbing

About Monster Tower

Monster Tower stands about 300 feet (91 meters) southeast of another amazing rock formation called Washer Woman. Washer Woman is a towering arch that looks like a person bending over a washtub.

Both Monster Tower and Washer Woman were once part of a long, thin rock wall, or "fin." They are made of a type of rock called Wingate Sandstone. This sandstone formed from ancient sand dunes that were blown by the wind about 200 million years ago!

You can see Monster Tower easily from a short walk to Mesa Arch, which is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the west. Another way to see it is by driving on the four-wheel drive White Rim Road. The top of Monster Tower rises about 1,400 feet (427 meters) above this road. Any rain that falls on Monster Tower flows into the nearby Colorado River.

Climbing Adventures

The very first time someone successfully climbed Monster Tower was on December 26, 1963. The climbers were Layton Kor, Larry Dalke, and Cub Schafer. They used a path called the South Ridge, which is rated class 5.11 for climbing difficulty.

One of the most popular climbing paths on Monster Tower is the North Ridge. It's rated class 5.11a and was first climbed in 1981 by Ken Trout and Kirk Miller. Another challenging path, called Monster of Rock (5.11), is on the south side of the tower. Edward Webster and Chester Dreiman first climbed it in 1982. There's also a path called Los Banditos, which is an aid climb. This means climbers use special equipment to help them go up.

Weather at Monster Tower

The best times to visit Monster Tower are during spring and fall. The area has a Cold semi-arid climate. This means it's a desert climate, but it can get quite cold in the winter.

The region gets less than 10 inches (254 mm) of rain each year. Snowfall in winter is usually light. Most of the rain happens during spring and summer.

Pictures of Monster Tower