Vishnu Temple (Grand Canyon) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vishnu Temple
North aspect, from Angels Window Overlook
Highest point
Elevation	7,533 ft (2,296 m)
Prominence	1,813 ft (553 m)
Isolation	1.77 mi (2.85 km)
Parent peak	Wotans Throne (7,740 ft)
Geography
Vishnu Temple Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Vishnu Temple Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Grand Canyon Coconino County, Arizona, US
Parent range	Kaibab Plateau Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Cape Royal
Type of rock	Coconino Sandstone
Climbing
First ascent	1945
Easiest route	class 4 climbing

Vishnu Temple is a 7,533-foot-elevation (2,296 meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of Arizona, USA. It is situated two miles south-southeast of the Cape Royal overlook on the canyon's North Rim, 1.5 mile south of Freya Castle, and two miles east-southeast of Wotans Throne, its nearest higher neighbor. It towers 4,900 feet (1,490 meters) above the Colorado River. According to explorer Frederick Samuel Dellenbaugh, Vishnu Temple is "without doubt the most stupendous mass of nature's carving in the known world."

Vishnu Temple is named for Vishnu, the Hindu deity, redeemer of the universe. This name was applied in 1880 by Clarence Dutton who thought this mountain resembled an oriental pagoda, and who began the tradition of naming geographical features in the Grand Canyon after mythological deities. This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1906 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The first ascent of the summit was made by Merrel Clubb and his son on July 13, 1945. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Vishnu Temple is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone.

Geology

The summit of Vishnu Temple is composed of cream-colored, cliff-forming, Permian Coconino Sandstone with a Kaibab Limestone cupola caprock. The sandstone, which is the third-youngest of the strata in the Grand Canyon, was deposited 265 million years ago as sand dunes. Below the Coconino Sandstone is slope-forming, Permian Hermit Formation, which in turn overlays the Pennsylvanian-Permian Supai Group. Further down are strata of Mississippian Redwall Limestone, Cambrian Tonto Group, and finally Proterozoic Unkar Group at creek level. Precipitation runoff from Vishnu Temple drains south into the Colorado River via Vishnu Creek on its west side, and Unkar Creek on the east side.

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