Candlestick Tower

CountryUnited StatesStateUtahCountySan JuanProtected areaCanyonlands National ParkParent rangeColorado PlateauTopo mapUSGS Upheaval DomeGeologyAge of rockLate TriassicType of rockWingate SandstoneClimbingFirst ascent1974Easiest routeclass 5.10 Climbing^[2]

Candlestick Tower is a 450-foot-tall (140 m) sandstone butte located in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, in San Juan County, Utah.^[3] Its descriptive name comes from its resemblance to a candlestick. Candlestick Tower is composed of Wingate Sandstone, which is the remains of wind-borne sand dunes deposited approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic.

The nearest higher neighbor is Shaft Benchmark, 2 mi (3.2 km) to the east; Upheaval Dome is located 3 mi (4.8 km) to the north and the Green River Overlook is situated 2.5 mi (4.0 km) to the east.^[1] Access to the tower is via the four-wheel-drive White Rim Road. Candlestick is situated north of Soda Springs Basin and south of Holeman Spring Basin, and the top of this geological formation rises 1,400 feet above the White Rim Road in approximately one mile. Precipitation runoff from Candlestick Tower drains into the nearby Green River via these two basins.

The first ascent of Candlestick was made in March 1974 by Jimmy Dunn, Larry Hamilton, Doug Snively, and John Byrd.^[4] The first free ascent of Candlestick Tower was made by Glenn Randall and Kent Lugbill in 1982.^[5] The established routes on Candlestick are the class 5.10 Southwest Corner, the East Face (5.10), and Two Worlds Route is an aid climb.^[6]

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Candlestick Tower. 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 −0 °C (32 °F) 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 millimetres) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.

• Colorado Plateau
• Geology of the Canyonlands area