Thumb Butte

A Prominent Summit and Iconic Landmark

At 6,514 feet, Thumb Butte, a prominent summit of volcanic origin, dominates the western skyline of Prescott, AZ, and serves as an iconic landmark for residents and visitors alike. In the early 1990s, the Central Arizona Land Trust (CALT) formed, in part, because of development threats at its base. CALT, working with the City of Prescott (COP) and bolstered by overwhelming public support, protected the eastern flank or face of Thumb Butte permanently from development.

The Story Behind The ‘Scar’

The story begins in the early 1980s with the construction of what was known as the ‘Scar’ – a building platform excavated for a future home site by the landowners at the time. The unsightly earthworks generated negative  public reaction, which ultimately convinced the landowner to abandon building on the site.

The parcel was eventually put up  for  sale  in  the  early  1990s. CALT and the COP  jointly acquired it on January 5, 1993 and the adjacent parcel to the east on September 15, 2005 after an extensive public fundraising campaign to purchase both.

The ‘Scar’ acquisition was also the beginning of a concerted effort by CALT and the COP to raise additional funds to acquire other adjacent parcels. ‍

Establishing ‘Thumb Butte Conservation Easement’

Ultimately, CALT and the COP raised funds to acquire six additional parcels for a total of seven acres. Once purchased, conservation easements were established to ensure permanent protection from development and then conveyed to the City of Prescott as public open space. CALT refers to the contiguous parcels as the “Thumb Butte Conservation Easement”.