Altar of Sacrifice

Altar of Sacrifice is a 7,505-foot (2,288 m) Navajo Sandstone mountain in Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States,^[3] that is part of the Towers of the Virgin.

Altar of Sacrifice
Altar of Sacrifice, east aspect
Highest point
Elevation	7,505 ft (2,288 m)[1]
Prominence	585 ft (178 m)[1]
Parent peak	The Sundial (7,590 ft)[2]
Isolation	0.74 mi (1.19 km)[2]
Listing	Mountains of Utah
Coordinates	37°13′33″N 113°01′11″W[1]
Geography
Altar of Sacrifice Location in Utah Show map of Utah Altar of Sacrifice Altar of Sacrifice (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Washington
Protected area	Zion National Park
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Springdale West
Geology
Rock age	Jurassic
Rock type	Navajo sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route	class 5+ climbing[2]

Description

Altar of Sacrifice is situated 2.5 mi (4.0 km) west-northwest of Zion's park headquarters, towering 3,500 feet (1,100 m) above the floor of Zion Canyon and the Virgin River which drains precipitation runoff from this mountain. Its nearest higher neighbor is The West Temple, one mile (1.6 km) to the south.^[1] Other neighbors include The Witch Head, Meridian Tower, Bee Hive, The Sentinel, Mount Spry, Bridge Mountain, and Mount Kinesava.

Etymology and naming

Altar of Sacrifice, The Great White Throne, and Angels Landing were named by Methodist Minister Frederick Vining Fisher from Ogden during a visit to Zion Canyon in 1916.^[4] This feature's name gained its appropriateness from dark red stains caused by hematite (iron oxide) that appear on the face of the east wall, as though great quantities of blood had been spilled from the top.^[3] Altar of Sacrifice's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.^[3]

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Altar of Sacrifice. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.^[5]

Gallery

• 
  The West Temple (left), The Sundial, The Witch Head, Altar of Sacrifice (right)
• 
  The West Temple (left), Altar of Sacrifice (right)
• 
• 
• 
  Towers of the Virgin. Left to rightː The Sundial, The Witch Head, Broken Tooth, Rotten Tooth, Altar of Sacrifice (upper right).
• 
  Altar of Sacrifice (centered) seen from summit of The Watchman
• 
  The Witch Head, Broken Tooth, Rotten Tooth, Altar of Sacrifice
• 

See also

• Mountains portal
• Utah portal

• Geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area
• Colorado Plateau