Steptoe Butte Reopens After Repaving

The yearlong closure of Steptoe Butte was prompted by a flood that washed out its only road, though the bumpy and deteriorating condition of the 50-year-old pavement was already a known issue. The $3.4 million repair project not only repaved four miles of road but also improved culverts to prevent future flooding. This iconic landmark gives its name to a geological term: a "steptoe," which is an isolated hill of older rock surrounded by younger lava flows. The butte itself is a thimble-shaped peak of 400-million-year-old quartzite, a remnant of ancient mountains that predates the surrounding Columbia River Basalt lava flows. Designated as a National Natural Landmark, the butte is a crucial remnant of the Palouse prairie, an ecosystem now considered one of the most endangered in the United States. Less than 1% of the native Palouse prairie remains, and Whitman County has taken special measures to protect this rare habitat under a Critical Area Ordinance. The butte is named for Colonel Edward Steptoe of the U.S. Army, a key figure in a conflict with Native American tribes in 1858. Before being named for Steptoe, the butte was known to Native Americans as "the power mountain," a place where a journey was believed to bestow a guardian spirit's power. From 1888 to 1908, a two-story hotel built by James S. "Cashup" Davis stood at the summit, complete with an observatory. The hotel eventually closed and burned down in 1911. The land was donated to become a state park in 1946 by local conservationist Virgil McCroskey. In addition to its sweeping 200-mile views that can stretch into Idaho and Oregon, the park is a popular spot for paragliding and hang gliding. The park also holds agricultural history. An orchard preserved near a picnic area at the base contains heirloom apple varieties that were once thought to be lost, discovered in 2014.