Factory Butte is a striking sandstone mesa rising 300 metres above an almost completely barren plain about 30 miles north-east of Torrey, accessible via a dirt road off Highway 24. The terrain surrounding it looks like a lunar surface — grey-white badlands without a blade of vegetation — with the butte rising from the centre in layered horizontal bands. It is one of the more otherworldly landscapes in a region full of otherworldly landscapes.
The area around Factory Butte is BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, popular with off-road vehicles. A straightforward walk around the base of the butte takes about 2 hours; the summit is accessible to experienced scramblers. From Torrey, the drive takes about 45 minutes.