Altar of Sacrifice

Altar of Sacrifice is situated west-northwest of Zion's park headquarters, towering above the floor of Zion Canyon and the Virgin River which drains precipitation runoff from this mountain. Its nearest higher neighbor is The West Temple, to the south. Other neighbors include The Witch Head, Meridian Tower, Bee Hive, The Sentinel, Mount Spry, Bridge Mountain, and Mount Kinesava. == Etymology and naming ==

Altar of Sacrifice, The Great White Throne, and Angels Landing were named by Methodist Minister Frederick Vining Fisher from Ogden during a visit to Zion Canyon in 1916. This feature's name gained its appropriateness from dark red stains caused by hematite (iron oxide) that appear on the face of the east wall, as though great quantities of blood had been spilled from the top. Altar of Sacrifice's name was officially adopted in 1934 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. ==Climate==

Spring and fall are the most favorable seasons to visit Altar of Sacrifice. According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone, which is defined by the coldest month having an average mean temperature below 32 °F (0 °C), and at least 50% of the total annual precipitation being received during the spring and summer. This desert climate receives less than of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter. ==Gallery==

File:Classic Zion (23864216807).jpg|The West Temple (left), The Sundial, The Witch Head, Altar of Sacrifice (right) File:The West Temple (left) with the Towers of the Virgin.jpg|The West Temple (left), Altar of Sacrifice (right) File:Zion N.P., Altar of Sacrifice 5-2-14 (14287946887).jpg File:Sunrise, Altar of Sacrifice, Zion.jpg File:Towers of the Virgin.jpg|Towers of the Virgin. Left to rightː The Sundial, The Witch Head, Broken Tooth, Rotten Tooth, Altar of Sacrifice (upper right). File:Altar of Sacrifice from The Watchman.jpg|Altar of Sacrifice (centered) seen from summit of The Watchman File:The Witch Head, Alter of Sacrifice.jpg|The Witch Head, Broken Tooth, Rotten Tooth, Altar of Sacrifice File:Altar of Sacrifice.jpg ==See also==