Rabbit Ear Mountain
Rabbit Ears | |
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Rabbit Ear Mountain (2026) | |
| Nearest city | Clayton, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°31′56.38″N 103°14′41.90″W / 36.5323278°N 103.2449722°W |
| Area | 15,250 acres (61.7 km2) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000499 |
| {{{DESIGNATED_OTHER1_ABBR}}} No. | 203 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | May 23, 1963 |
| Designated {{{DESIGNATED_OTHER1_ABBR}}} | November 6, 1970 |
Rabbit Ear Mountain is a mountain with two peaks in northeastern New Mexico, United States, 8 miles (13 kilometers) north of the city of Clayton. The mountain was a distinctive landmark along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail, a major route for westbound settlers in the 19th century. The mountain was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963. The name is that of a Native American chief who was killed here in a battle with the Spanish in 1717.
In 1966, the National Park Service created a historic district called "Rabbit Ears" that includes the mountain. Also, the mountain was designated a National Historic Landmark under that name. According to the GNIS database, however, the mountain's official name is Rabbit Ear Mountain.
Rabbit Ear Mountain is really two summits that at one time formed a single volcano, but erosion over time has greatly changed the peak's landscape. The higher of the two peaks has an elevation of 6,062 feet (1,848 meters) and the lower, which is unnamed, has an elevation of 5,861 feet (1,786 meters). They rise several hundred feet above the surrounding Great Plains.