Bea on top of Steptoe Butte after we ran up it

Steptoe Butte is a quartzite island jutting out of the silty loess of the Palouse hills in Whitman County, Washington. The rock that forms the butte is over 400 million years old, in contrast with the 15?7 million year old Columbia River basalts that underlie the rest of the Palouse.
A hotel built by Cashup Davis stood atop Steptoe butte from 1888 to 1908, burning down several years after it closed. In 1946, Virgil McCroskey donated 120 acres (0.49 km2) of land to form Steptoe Butte State Park, which was later increased to over 150 acres (0.61 km2). Steptoe Butte is currently recognized as a National Natural Landmark because of its unique geological value. It is named in honor of Colonel Edward Steptoe. The butte was used as a reconnaissance point by the US troops of Colonel E.J. Steptoe and was thereby named after the Colonel himself. General Steptoe lost a battle with the local Indians and his career at nearby battlefield monument at site of battle in Rosalia.
Elevation: 3,612 feet (1,101 m), approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) above the surrounding countryside.