Skip to main content
Stav is Lost Logo
Back
  • Find Hikes
    • Most Recent
    • Trip Report Index
    • Peaks Climbed
    • Hikes by Region
    • Search Hikes
  • Map
  • About
  • Love
  • Cart Icon
  • Stav is Lost Instagram
Hike South Rabbit Ear and Rabbit Ears Plateau in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico - Stav is Lost

Hike South Rabbit Ear and Rabbit Ears Plateau Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, NM

Class 3 6.7 miles 3500 gain 3-5 hrs Out and Back
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude
DirectionsRoute MapDownload GPX

South Rabbit Ear and Rabbit Ears Plateau GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

GPX track added to your cart.

Add to Cart
View Cart

Dec 08, 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.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
South Rabbit Ear
8030 ft
n/a rise
2
Rabbit Ears Plateau (Rabbit Ears Massif)
8000+ ft
320 rise

Show me some love

Please consider helping me out if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all site fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing these trip reports is unpaid. You can also hire me as a web developer. I really appreciate it!

Thank you

Next HikePrev Hike
  • Next Hike
  • More Near Here
  • Prev Hike
photo protector Follow the dirt road until you get to a mine in a bit over a mile.
Follow the dirt road until you get to a mine in a bit over a mile.
photo protector Ruins along the dirt road.
Ruins along the dirt road.
photo protector Ruins close up.
Ruins close up.
photo protector Getting ever closer...
Getting ever closer...
photo protector Abandoned mine.
Abandoned mine.
photo protector Rare to find an open mine shaft.
Rare to find an open mine shaft.
photo protector Heading toward the obvious canyon on a narrow trail.
Heading toward the obvious canyon on a narrow trail.
photo protector Along the narrow trail that guides you kindly through the prickly everything.
Along the narrow trail that guides you kindly through the prickly everything.
photo protector The trail leads to a wash, and then you just have to follow the wash pretty much the whole way to the summit.
The trail leads to a wash, and then you just have to follow the wash pretty much the whole way to the summit.
photo protector Along the wash.
Along the wash.
photo protector Some fun little scrambles along the canyon bed.
Some fun little scrambles along the canyon bed.
photo protector Suddenly, a peak comes into view. It's the northmost peak of the Rabbit Ears (there are three).
Suddenly, a peak comes into view. It's the northmost peak of the Rabbit Ears (there are three).
photo protector Looknig back down the canyon.
Looknig back down the canyon.
photo protector
photo protector
photo protector
photo protector North Rabbit ear (left) and Rabbit Ears Plateau (right, in the sunlight)
North Rabbit ear (left) and Rabbit Ears Plateau (right, in the sunlight)
photo protector Go up the right canyon, toward Rabbit Ears Plateau.
Go up the right canyon, toward Rabbit Ears Plateau.
photo protector
photo protector Looking down the canyon.
Looking down the canyon.
photo protector 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.
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.
photo protector Looking back down the canyon.
Looking back down the canyon.
photo protector All three Rabbit Ears. (left to right) North, Middle, and South, where I am going.
All three Rabbit Ears. (left to right) North, Middle, and South, where I am going.
photo protector South Rabbit Ear in the middle.
South Rabbit Ear in the middle.
photo protector Looking back down the canyon.
Looking back down the canyon.
photo protector Go toward that slit between Middle and South Rabbit Ears.
Go toward that slit between Middle and South Rabbit Ears.
photo protector The short scramble before the saddle.
The short scramble before the saddle.
photo protector Looking down toward the Class 2 scramble.
Looking down toward the Class 2 scramble.
photo protector Class 3 scramble, the hardest part.
Class 3 scramble, the hardest part.
photo protector
photo protector At the summit, looking at Middle Rabbit Ear.
At the summit, looking at Middle Rabbit Ear.
photo protector Looking south toward the rest of the Organ Mountains.
Looking south toward the rest of the Organ Mountains.
photo protector Looking east from the summit toward the Aguirre Spring trailhead.
Looking east from the summit toward the Aguirre Spring trailhead.
photo protector From the summit, looking down the canyon I came.
From the summit, looking down the canyon I came.
photo protector 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.
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.
photo protector The saddle headed toward Rabbit Ears Plateau.
The saddle headed toward Rabbit Ears Plateau.
photo protector 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.
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.
photo protector The view of the three Rabbit Ears from Rabbit Ears Plateau.
The view of the three Rabbit Ears from Rabbit Ears Plateau.
photo protector The view South.
The view South.
photo protector Heading back down the canyon.
Heading back down the canyon.

Show Me Some Love

If you find my site helpful, please help me replace my many broken cameras, fund my website fees (hosting, APIs, security), or just support my countless hours of work. I pay for all expenses myself, and all trip reports I post are unpaid and unsponsored, so any support is really appreciated!

If using PayPal, please select their option for "Sending to a friend" so they don't take out fees, thank you.

PayPalVenmoCash App

About  Contact  Love

© 2024 Stavros Basis.

DISCLAIMER: All activities you find on this site are dangerous. I am not responsible for anything you do in the outdoors. Please practice good ethics, and don't take any risks that put yourself or others in danger.