| Missouri Buttes | |
|---|---|
 Little Missouri Butte, the tallest of the buttes, in 1890 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,374 ft (1,638 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,204 ft (367 m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 44°36′57″N104°46′29″W / 44.61583°N 104.77472°W /44.61583; -104.77472[2] |
| Geography | |
  Missouri Buttes | |
| Parent range | Black Hills |
| Topo map(s) | USGS Missouri Buttes, WY |
Missouri Buttes orLittle Missouri Buttes are located inCrook County in northeastWyoming on the northwest flank of theBlack Hills Uplift. Thebuttes are 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northwest (N60°W) ofDevils Tower between theLittle Missouri and theBelle Fourche rivers.[3]
The Missouri Buttes consist of four separate summits which arise from an erodedmesa platform, the Butte Divide, which has an elevation of 4,650 feet (1,420 m). The butte peaks form a rough rectangle 0.5 x 0.65 mi. in size. The northwest butte is the highest with a summit at 5,374 feet (1,638 m). The northeast butte has an elevation of 5,212 feet (1,589 m), the southwest butte has an elevation of 5,020 feet (1,530 m) and the southeast butte has an elevation of 5,055 feet (1,541 m). A small lake, the Missouri Buttes Lake, lies 800 metres (2,600 ft) west of the buttes.[4]
As with Devils Tower, the buttes are composed ofigneous intrusivephonolite which exhibitscolumnar jointing. The rocks of the buttes have been interpreted to be part of alaccolith, a magmaticstock or volcano conduits that became exposed at the surface after overlying rocks were eroded.[5]
The Missouri Buttes are located on private land with no public access.[6][7]