Raton Pass

Raton Pass is the gateway between the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. Raton, of course is Spanish for 'rat.' Historians think Raton Pass may have earned its nickname from a heavy population of wood mice that settlers encountered.

Of course, since those settlers didn't have GPS units to navigate with, they had to use landmarks to find certain mountain passes. Fisher's Peak, in the photos below, was the landmark used to locate Raton Pass. The first photo is from the New Mexico side. The second is a more distant view from Trinidad, CO.