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Tower of Set
Tonto-trail.jpg
Southeast aspect, from Tonto Trail
Highest point
Elevation 6,012 ft (1,832 m)
Prominence 432 ft (132 m)
Isolation 1.16 mi (1.87 km)
Parent peak Horus Temple (6,150 ft)
Geography
Tower of Set is located in Arizona
Tower of Set
Tower of Set
Location in Arizona
Tower of Set is located in the United States
Tower of Set
Tower of Set
Location in the United States
Location Grand Canyon
Coconino County, Arizona, US
Parent range Kaibab Plateau
Colorado Plateau
Topo map USGS Grand Canyon
Type of rock sandstone, siltstone, mudstone
Climbing
First ascent 1977
Easiest route class 5.1 climbing

Tower of Set is a tall rock formation, or butte, found in the amazing Grand Canyon. It stands 6,012 feet (about 1,832 meters) high. You can find it in Coconino County, Arizona, in the southwestern United States.

This impressive butte is about four miles north of Hopi Point. It is also near other famous Grand Canyon features like Tower of Ra and Shiva Temple. Tower of Set rises about 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) above the Colorado River.

It was first named Temple of Sett in 1879 by artist Thomas Moran. He named it after Set, an ancient Egyptian god of war. Moran thought a part of the butte looked like temples along the Nile River. Another person, George Wharton James, also helped name it. He followed a tradition of naming Grand Canyon spots after gods. The name "Tower of Set" became official in 1906.

In 1919, a woman named Harriet Williams Russell Strong had an idea. She wanted to build a tramway, like a cable car, across the river. It would connect Hopi Point and Tower of Set. But this idea was never built. The first people to climb to the top of Tower of Set were Bruce Grubbs and Jim Haggart. They made their climb in November 1977. The area around Tower of Set has a cold, semi-dry climate.

Grand Canyon Geology

The top part of Tower of Set is made of reddish rock. This rock is from a time called the Pennsylvanian-Permian period. It is part of a rock group called the Supai Group.

Layers of Rock

Below the Supai Group, you can see other layers of rock. These include the Redwall Limestone from the Mississippian period. Further down is the Tonto Group, which formed during the Cambrian period. At the very bottom, near the river, are very old granite rocks. These are called the Vishnu Basement Rocks.

Water Flow

Rainwater that falls on Tower of Set flows south. It drains into the Colorado River. This water travels through two creeks: Trinity Creek on the east side and Ninetyfour Mile Creek on the west side.

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