Rabbit Ears (Clayton, New Mexico)
Rabbit Ears | |
Oblique air photo facing north in August 2011 | |
| Nearest city | Clayton, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°35′32″N 103°13′28″W / 36.59222°N 103.22444°W |
| Area | 15,250 acres (61.7 km2) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000499 |
| NMSRCP No. | 203 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | May 23, 1963 |
| Designated NMSRCP | November 6, 1970 |
The Rabbit Ears are a pair of mountain peaks in northeastern New Mexico, United States, 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) north of the city of Clayton. The two peaks were a distinctive landmark along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail, a major route for westbound settlers in the 19th century. The formation 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.
The higher of the two peaks has an elevation of 1,848 metres (6,063 ft) and the lower has an elevation of 1,788 metres (5,866 ft). They rises several hundred feet above the surrounding Great Plains.