Elephant Butte is situated 2.3 miles (3.7 km) southeast of the Monument Valley visitor center on Navajo Nation land.

Precipitation runoff from this butte's slopes drains into Gypsum Creek which is a tributary of the San Juan River.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 900 feet (274 meters) above the surrounding terrain in 0.25 mile (0.4 km).

The buttes and mesas of Monument Valley are the result of the Organ Rock Shale being more easily eroded than the overlaying sandstone.

This desert climate receives less than 10 inches (250 millimeters) of annual rainfall, and snowfall is generally light during the winter.