Pectols Pyramid

Pectols Pyramid is a 6,211-foot (1,893-meter) elevation summit located in Capitol Reef National Park, in Wayne County of Utah, United States. This iconic landmark is situated two miles (3.2 km) southeast of the park's visitor center, one mile (1.6 km) south of Navajo Dome, and 0.5 mi (0.80 km) southwest of Capitol Dome. Precipitation runoff from this feature is drained by the Fremont River, which in turn is within the Colorado River drainage basin. This geological feature's name honors Ephraim Portman Pectol (1875–1947), booster and founder of what would become Capitol Reef National Monument in 1937.^[3]

Pectols Pyramid
Northwest aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,211 ft (1,893 m)[1]
Prominence	407 ft (124 m)[2]
Isolation	0.91 mi (1.46 km)[2]
Coordinates	38°17′07″N 111°13′36″W[1]
Geography
Pectols Pyramid Location in Utah Show map of Utah Pectols Pyramid Pectols Pyramid (the United States) Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Utah
County	Wayne
Protected area	Capitol Reef National Park
Parent range	Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Fruita
Geology
Rock age	Jurassic
Rock type	Navajo Sandstone

Geology

Pectols Pyramid is composed of Navajo Sandstone, which is believed to have formed about 180 million years ago as a giant sand sea, the largest in Earth's history.^[4] In a hot, dry climate, wind blew over sand dunes, creating large, sweeping crossbeds which date to the Jurassic. Long after the sedimentary rocks were deposited, the Colorado Plateau was uplifted relatively evenly, keeping the layers roughly horizontal, but Capitol Reef is an exception because of the Waterpocket Fold, a classic monocline, which formed between 50 and 70 million years ago during the Laramide Orogeny.^[5]

Gallery

• 
  Northwest aspect
• 
• 
  North aspect
• 
  The distant white Pectols Pyramid centered, west aspect
• 
  Pectols Pyramid seen from Hickman Bridge Trail
• 
  Capitol Dome (left), Pectols Pyramid (right)
• 
  Pectols Pyramid from north
• 

Climate

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Pectols Pyramid. 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.

Climate data for Capitol Reef Visitor Center, elevation 5,653 ft (1,723 m), 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1981-2019
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	58.6 (14.8)	68.3 (20.2)	78.3 (25.7)	84.4 (29.1)	94.6 (34.8)	100.2 (37.9)	100.8 (38.2)	97.9 (36.6)	95.4 (35.2)	86.1 (30.1)	70.4 (21.3)	61.5 (16.4)	100.8 (38.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	40.6 (4.8)	46.4 (8.0)	54.7 (12.6)	65.0 (18.3)	74.5 (23.6)	85.3 (29.6)	90.4 (32.4)	87.9 (31.1)	80.2 (26.8)	66.1 (18.9)	51.3 (10.7)	40.6 (4.8)	65.3 (18.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	17.8 (−7.9)	22.7 (−5.2)	30.2 (−1.0)	36.2 (2.3)	44.7 (7.1)	53.1 (11.7)	60.4 (15.8)	58.5 (14.7)	50.4 (10.2)	39.0 (3.9)	27.6 (−2.4)	18.2 (−7.7)	38.3 (3.5)
Record low °F (°C)	−4.2 (−20.1)	−11.8 (−24.3)	9.1 (−12.7)	18.1 (−7.7)	27.2 (−2.7)	34.6 (1.4)	42.4 (5.8)	45.1 (7.3)	29.9 (−1.2)	11.7 (−11.3)	8.0 (−13.3)	−7.5 (−21.9)	−11.8 (−24.3)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.52 (13)	0.34 (8.6)	0.53 (13)	0.47 (12)	0.59 (15)	0.47 (12)	0.91 (23)	1.20 (30)	0.80 (20)	0.98 (25)	0.49 (12)	0.32 (8.1)	7.62 (194)
Average dew point °F (°C)	17.3 (−8.2)	20.8 (−6.2)	23.0 (−5.0)	24.5 (−4.2)	29.1 (−1.6)	32.0 (0.0)	40.0 (4.4)	41.8 (5.4)	34.8 (1.6)	28.2 (−2.1)	21.9 (−5.6)	17.5 (−8.1)	27.6 (−2.4)
Source: PRISM[6]

See also

• Mountains portal

• Colorado Plateau
• Geology of the Capitol Reef area