Big Indian is a 6,120-foot-elevation (1,865-meter)summit inSan Juan County,Utah, United States.^[2]

Big Indian
West aspect
Highest point
Elevation	6,120 ft (1,865 m)[1]
Prominence	580 ft (177 m)[1]
Parent peak	Brighams Tomb (6,739 ft)[1]
Isolation	0.93 mi (1.50 km)[1]
Coordinates	37°01′13″N110°05′31″W / 37.0203836°N 110.0919079°W /37.0203836; -110.0919079[2]
Geography
Big Indian Location in Utah Show map of Utah Big Indian Big Indian (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Monument Valley San Juan County,Utah, U.S.
Parent range	Colorado Plateau[3]
Topo map	USGSMonument Pass
Geology
Rock age	Permian
Mountain type	Butte
Rock type	Sandstone

Big Indian is situated three miles (4.8 km) north-northeast of theMonument Valley Tribal Park Visitor Center, onNavajo Nation land. It is an iconic landform ofMonument Valley and can be seen fromHighway 163. Precipitation runoff from this landform's slopes drains into theSan Juan Riverdrainage basin.^[3]Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 700 feet (213 meters) above the surrounding terrain in 0.25 mile (0.4 km). The nearest higher summit isSentinel Mesa, 0.62 miles (1.00 km) to the southwest.^[3] This landform's toponym was officially adopted in 1964 by theUnited States Board on Geographic Names.^[2] It is so named because the butte resembles the face of a native American looking south-southeast into the valley.^[4] "Big Chief" and "Big Indian Butte" were alternate names that were ultimately rejected.^[5]

Big Indian is composed of two principal strata. The bottom layer is slope-formingOrgan Rock Shale underlaying cliff-formingDe Chelly Sandstone. The rock was deposited during thePermian period. The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone.^[6]

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Big Indian. According to theKöppen climate classification system, it is located in asemi-arid climate zone with cold winters and hot summers. Summers average 54 days above 90 °F (32 °C) annually, and highs rarely exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Summer nights are comfortably cool, and temperaturesdrop quickly after sunset. Winters are cold, but daytime highs are usually above freezing. Winter temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) are uncommon, though possible. This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.^[7]

• List of appearances of Monument Valley in the media

• Weather:Big Indian