Rabbit Ears, Historic landmark in Union County, New Mexico.

Rabbit Ear Mountain is a pair of eroded volcanic summits rising several hundred feet above the Great Plains 8 miles north of Clayton. The higher peak reaches 6,062 feet and the lower, unnamed one 5,861 feet. The two peaks are part of the Clayton Complex in the Raton-Clayton volcanic field and are skirted to the south and west by New Mexico State Road 370.

These formations served as crucial navigation points for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail during the 1800s. They guided merchants and settlers across the territory during the period of western expansion.

The formations served as a meeting point where Native American paths, Spanish trade routes, and American settlement journeys intersected across the region. Travelers of different origins navigated by these same landmarks, making it a crossroads of movement and exchange.

The formations can be viewed from State Road 370, located roughly 5 miles north of Clayton. Viewing from the road is accessible, but closer access requires permission from private landowners in the area.

The mountain's name comes from a Native American chief killed there in a 1717 battle with the Spanish. The National Park Service created the "Rabbit Ears" historic district in 1966, while the GNIS database lists the official name as Rabbit Ear Mountain.