Welcome to the Atlas Obscura Community discussion of Sutter Buttes in California. Ask questions or share travel tips, experiences, pictures, or general comments with the community. For the story behind this place, check out the Atlas Obscura entry:
A 1,700 acre “state park” completely surrounded by private property, including all access roads! WTF? What’s the point, then? This is such California b.s.!!!
My guess is that the land was purchased when it became available, on the theory that other land parcels that do have right-of-way access may be added to it in the future to form a viable state park location.
Also of geological interest: gravity maps reveal that there is a second volcanic intrusion of comparable size to the west (if I recall correctly) of the visible buttes. This second intrusion remains completely buried in the valley floor sediments.