Overview
Devils Tower(left) and the Missouri Buttes(right)
The Missouri Buttes are located 3.5 miles northwest of Devils Tower. While they are taller than Devils Tower, the Missouri Buttes are much less sheer and thus, recieve little attention. The Missouri Buttes consist of four separate summits which rise from an eroded mesa. They are composed of igneous phenolite, the same type of rock that Devils Tower is made of. It is a slick form of volcanic rock that forms into columns as it erodes, with the outer layers peeling off almost like an onion.
The four Missouri Buttes, seen from the top of Devils Tower
The Northwest Butte is the highest point of the Missouri Buttes, clocking in 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).