The Goshute tribe referred to Red Butte Canyon as mo’ni-wai-ni after a bloody conflict over the area [01]. However, the name of Red Butte Creek remains unknown. Just one year upon arrival, colonial settlers quarried the red sandstone in the canyon (to which they would change the creek’s name to reflect).
In 1862, the creek was tapped as a water source for Fort Douglas at the canyon mouth. Protections increased when the Forest Service acquired it in 1969, declaring it a Research Natural Area and closing off public access. Upper Red Butte Canyon remains one of our last undisturbed riparian ecosystems.
Today, Red Butte Creek flows through the Lee Charles Miller Bird Refuge and Nature Park, which touts trails, masonry works, and 72 bird species [05]. In 2010, 33,600 gallons of oil spilled into the creek from a Chevron pipeline, significantly impacting the park [06]. This prompted restoration of the creek and its flora.
