Historical Marker

Emory Pass

Emory Pass, Black Range Mountains, Elevation: 8,228 ft. At the top of the pass are Tertiary volcanic and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that also form the high cliffs of the Caballo Mountains seen 35 miles to the east. The two ranges were joined until the Rio Grande Rift formed a graben that settled About four miles lower than the pass. McKnight Peak is the Black Range’s highest point at 10,165 feet. The pass is named for army officer William Hemsley Emory, who crossed it in 1846.