Rabbit Ears Pass

Rabbit Ears Pass (el. 9426 ft, 2873 m) is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States, where U.S. Route 40 crosses the Park Range (Colorado). North of the summit is Rabbit Ears Peak which has the shape of rabbit ears, which displays two large columns of basalt rock formations from the second volcanic episode. Rabbit Ears Peak is underlain by a pink tuff and the basalt immediately to the west is underlain by red, vesicular ash. Volcanic breccia occurs only at the Peak, which is a large stratified breccia pile. The three basal layers are cut by a basalt dike immediately beneath the peak. From petrographic evidence there appears to have been one period of lava flows and this surface can be seen at Rabbit Ears Peak. The Rabbit Ears Pass area covers 56 square miles in north central Colorado at the junction of the Rabbit Ears Range and the Park Range. The Rabbit Ear Pass highway, which is one of the most important transcontinental road links in the nation, was built by the state of Colorado, Routt, Grand, and Jackson counties, and the United States Forest Service. It was started in 1911 and was not completed until 1917. Present work is along lines of reducing curves and improving the roadbed. The road connects Routt with Jackson and Grand counties and furnishes direct connection with Denver by way of Kremmling and Berthoud Pass, where the m

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