The Sutter Buttes have the distinction of being the world's smallest mountain range. Located just outside Chico's neighbor, Yuba City, the Buttes are visible on a clear day from both Highway 99 and Interstate 5. Being a small volcanic outcropping in the middle of the otherwise flat valley, they are certainly an anomaly along the landscape.

Unfortunately the Buttes are not publicly accessible. Much of the land is privately owned (mainly by ranchers), but some was bought by the State of California to be designated as a park. However, right now, even the state land is not open to the public, as it has not been developed yet into any park. Some tours may be available through private organizations.

There are a cluster of natural gas wells surrounding the Sutter Buttes and there is supposedly a natural gas storage facility nearby. This storage area is meant to make a profit by storing natural gas when prices are low and selling it when prices are high.

An overexposed (grainy), slightly blurred, photo of the Sutter Buttes at dusk.

Links

Sutter Buttes Sutter Buttes entry on Wikipedia Sutter Buttes information from the Middle Mountain Foundation Sutter Buttes information from the Yuba Historical Society The Future Sutter Buttes State Park

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