O'Neill Butte

Best Time to See It

Since this is a landmark passed while hiking South Kaibab Trail, timing follows the same heat and crowd considerations as that trail generally.

Good to Know

• The butte's flat-topped summit is capped in Esplanade Sandstone, part of the Supai Group, with Redwall Limestone forming the cliffs below.
• It's named for William "Buckey" O'Neill, an Arizona politician and Rough Riders captain killed at San Juan Hill in 1898; the name was officially adopted in 1906.
• Use it as a landmark to gauge your progress on the South Kaibab descent toward Cedar Ridge.

Where to See O'Neill Butte

Best viewed from the South Kaibab Trail between the trailhead and Cedar Ridge. No maintained route to the summit — reaching the top involves technical climbing, not hiking.

What You're Looking At: O'Neill Butte

O'Neill Butte is the sharp, freestanding summit you can't miss from the upper switchbacks of the South Kaibab Trail, rising to 6,071 feet and standing about 3,600 feet above the Colorado River. The trail doesn't cross it — it skirts the butte's east slope on the way down toward Cedar Ridge — so most people experience it as the dominant landmark on the hike rather than a destination itself, framing the view for the whole stretch past Ooh Aah Point.