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Raton Pass, Colorado
(on the Colorado/New Mexico border)

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Ratón Pass is a 7,834 foot (2,388 meter) mountain pass on the Colorado-New Mexico border. It is located on the eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, New Mexico. The pass crosses a line of volcanic mesas that extends east from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the pass. Raton Pass carries Interstate 25, US Highways 85 and 87, and railroad tracks across its summit.

The pass was one of the most important, yet treacherous segments of the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail. The pass cut through the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains, allowing wagons access to the vast western territory. Shorter routes were eventually developed, but Raton Pass, which crossed easier terrain, remained in use.

Raton Pass, generally features a cold, semi-arid climate. Annual mean temperature around 53°F / 12°C, with winter lows often dipping to 15°F /-9.4°C and summer highs reaching the 90s°F / 32°C+. The pass typically receives an average annual snowfall of approximately 31 inches / 79 centimeters and experiences a 7-month snowy period, usually with the first measurable snow in October and the last in April, with March often being the snowiest month.

I-25 at Raton Pass - looking south, 0.4 miles N of New Mexico Border

I-25 at Raton Pass - North of Raton Pass & South of Trinidad
(from CDOT)

I-25 at Raton Pass - North of Raton Pass & South of Trinidad
(from CDOT)

I-25 at Raton Pass - New Mexico side
(from NMDOT) 

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