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South Rabbit Ear and Rabbit Ears Plateau

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, NM Chihuahuan Desert

Distance: 6.7 mi
Net Gain: 3,500 ft
Time: 3-5 hrs
YDS Rating: Class 3
Route: Out/Back
Peaks: 2

Effort: 5.2/10
Personality: 7/10
Beauty: 8/10
Solitude: 5.5/10

What do these mean? →

Peaks on this hike

Summits listed in route order

South Rabbit Ear
8,030′ elevation · N/A prominence
Rabbit Ears Plateau (Rabbit Ears Massif)
8,000′ elevation · 320′ prominence

Route map + Trailhead

Trailhead Coordinates

32.365673, -106.614369

The directions link below drops a pin on the trailhead coordinates and lets Google Maps pick the route. If the drive has rough roads or access issues that GPS nav might get wrong, I cover that in my trip report.

Trip report

Dec 8, 2016 — I followed a dirt road until it reached an old mine site, and then took a minute to locate an easy to follow social trail leading into the canyon northwest of Rabbit Ears. From here, I followed the obvious drainage over pretty slickrock until it splits. Left goes to the northern saddle of South Rabbit Ear and a Class 3 short scramble to its summit, while the right goes to the saddle between South Rabbit Ear and Rabbit Ears Plateau, where an easier scramble leads to great views of the Organ Mountains. I ascended to the left and desended later from the right. The left gully was boulder-filled and required some care. It led to the saddle between Middle and South Rabbit Ears. Middle Rabbit Ear is apparently Class 5, but I gave it a perfunctory study once at the saddle just in case. Instead, I headed up the Class 3 scramble to South Rabbit Ear, some short moves of fun and overall not particularly difficult. The views were great.

I dropped back down to the Middle Rabbit Ears – South Rabbit Ears saddle and bushwhacked along the northern edge of South Rabbit Ear (dotted line on attached map) to the saddle between South Rabbit Ear and Rabbit Ears Plateau (aka Rabbit Ears Massif). A bit of easy route-finding (I couldn't find a social trail – maybe there isn't one?) led up the Class 2 northern slope to the summit of Rabbit Ears Plateau. I returned to the saddle and headed down the gully that split the approach canyon earlier, bringing me back the way I came.

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Photos

40 photos

Follow the dirt road until you get to a mine in a bit over a mile.
Ruins along the dirt road.
Ruins close up.
Getting ever closer...
Abandoned mine.
Rare to find an open mine shaft.
Heading toward the obvious canyon on a narrow trail.
Along the narrow trail that guides you kindly through the prickly everything.
The trail leads to a wash, and then you just have to follow the wash pretty much the whole way to the summit.
Along the wash.
Some fun little scrambles along the canyon bed.
Suddenly, a peak comes into view. It's the northmost peak of the Rabbit Ears (there are three).
Looknig back down the canyon.
North Rabbit ear (left) and Rabbit Ears Plateau (right, in the sunlight)
Go up the right canyon, toward Rabbit Ears Plateau.
Looking down the canyon.
Shortly after this feature, the canyon splits slightly. You can go either way, but going left is an easier route up to South Rabbit Ear.
Looking back down the canyon.
All three Rabbit Ears. (left to right) North, Middle, and South, where I am going.
South Rabbit Ear in the middle.
Looking back down the canyon.
Go toward that slit between Middle and South Rabbit Ears.
The short scramble before the saddle.
Looking down toward the Class 2 scramble.
Class 3 scramble, the hardest part.
At the summit, looking at Middle Rabbit Ear.
Looking south toward the rest of the Organ Mountains.
Looking east from the summit toward the Aguirre Spring trailhead.
From the summit, looking down the canyon I came.
Looking west toward Rabbit Ears Plateau, my next destination. Basically go back the way you came and skirt the edge of South Rabbit Ear until you get to the saddle you see at the bottom of this pic.
The saddle headed toward Rabbit Ears Plateau.
Going up Rabbit Ears Plateau. I have no idea where I went, but if you're doing anything harder than steep hiking, you went the wrong way.
The view of the three Rabbit Ears from Rabbit Ears Plateau.
The view South.
Heading back down the canyon.

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Hire or refer me as a web developer, or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so it's funded by yours truly. It also takes a ton of work to edit photos and write these reports. I really appreciate it!

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