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A Red Butte

Dipping beds of vivid red Triassic Chugwater formation are exposed in this small butte along the road to Horseshoe Bend in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Wyoming.

Geologic note: The Chugwater Formation is a Triassic-age sequence of red siltstone , sandstone and some shale deposited about 240 million years ago in shallow marine, broad tidal flats and coastal-plain environments. Small amounts of iron oxides in the sediments give the striking crimson hue that makes the cliffs and hills in this part of the Recreation Area so distinctive.

 

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Uploaded on September 11, 2025
Taken on August 15, 2025