The Howlands Butte
A quiet inner-canyon butte named for two men who never made it out.
About
The Howlands Butte is a Redwall Limestone formation deep in the canyon's interior, rising above the Clear Creek drainage just upstream of where Bright Angel Creek meets the Colorado River. At 5,572 feet, it isn't one of the canyon's famous rim-view temples — it's a quieter, south-facing cliff mass that hikers on the Clear Creek Trail pass below rather than a formation most South Rim visitors would pick out by name.
The name
The butte was officially named in 1932 for brothers Seneca and Oramel Howland, who left the 1869 Powell Geographic Expedition just two days from its end. Convinced the river's remaining rapids couldn't be survived, the Howland brothers and a third man, William Dunn, climbed out of the canyon instead — and were never seen again. Their story is tied to this stretch of inner canyon country more than to any single overlook.
- Redwall Limestone cliffs form the butte's most visible band, with older Tonto Group and Vishnu basement rock beneath
- Best seen from the Clear Creek Trail corridor rather than a rim pullout
- No developed viewpoint or facilities — this is backcountry terrain
Best Time to See It
Since this is viewed while hiking the Clear Creek Trail, the same seasonal heat considerations apply as for that route generally.
The Name
- The butte was officially named in 1932 for brothers Seneca and Oramel Howland, who left the 1869 Powell Geographic Expedition just two days from its end.
- Convinced the river's remaining rapids couldn't be survived, the Howland brothers and a third man, William Dunn, climbed out of the canyon instead — and were never seen again.
- Their story is tied to this stretch of inner canyon country more than to any single overlook, worth knowing as you pass beneath it.
Seeing The Howlands Butte
Best seen from the Clear Creek Trail corridor rather than a rim pullout — there's no developed viewpoint or facilities, since this is backcountry terrain.
What You're Looking At: The Howlands Butte
The Howlands Butte is a Redwall Limestone formation deep in the canyon's interior, rising above the Clear Creek drainage just upstream of where Bright Angel Creek meets the Colorado River. At 5,572 feet, it isn't one of the canyon's famous rim-view temples — it's a quieter, south-facing cliff mass that hikers on the Clear Creek Trail pass below.
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