PLEASE NOTE:
There is currently no public access point to enter this park.
This park has not been officially named.

Park Classification
In 2003, California State Parks acquired property on the north side of the Sutter Buttes, which represents a unique resource within the State Park System. The first step in guiding the management of visitor activities and protection of park resources is determining the appropriate unit classification.

The CaIifornia Public Resources Code, Section 5002.1, requires that an inventory of scenic, natural and cultural features be provided to the California State Parks and Recreation Commission when classifying a unit of the State Park System. This Resource Summary is intended to provide the Commission with the necessary information for classification as specified in Article 1.7 of the Public Resources Code.

 Classification & Naming Document, dated March 8, 2005, 1.6 MB file size

This Summary establishes resource values and provides an overview of the project area. Information contained in this document has been compiled from various reports and field investigations. This information will also be useful to assist in developing resource policies, resource management programs and as background information for land use planning, maintenance, interpretation, and operation. Additional and more detailed resource inventory information will be developed during the preparation of a future General Plan and specific management plans for the park.

CALIFORNIA STATE PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION

On April 8, 2005, the State Park and Recreation Commission classified the Sutter Buttes project at its regular hearing in Sacramento, CA.  The newest unit in the California State Park System was classified a “State Park,” recognizing its significant natural, cultural, geologic, scenic, and recreational resource values.  The name of the park was not determined, until more information could be obtained on the various names and historical events associated with the site.

^{(Photograph by Mike Fuller)}

Sutter Buttes State Park
Sutter Buttes State Park contains the remains of a period of violently active volcanic eruptions between 1.35 and 1.6 million years ago. The origin of the Sutter Buttes has been hotly debated. The volcanic actively has been variously related to the Cascade Range to the north, to the Sonoma volcanics to the south and west, and to plate tectonic interactions deep below the terrestrial crust.

The full Geo Gems report  |  Geological Gems of State Parks