Laughlin Peak is a mountain in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States.
Description Laughlin Peak, also known as "Baldy", is an volcanic summit located southeast of Raton, New Mexico. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises over above the surrounding terrain in , and it can be seen from Highway 193. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into the Arkansas River watershed. The landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, and has been in use since 1891 when Henry Gannett published it in A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States following the Wheeler Survey.Henry Gannett, A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States, 1891, US Government Printing Office, p. 202. The mountain's namesake is unknown. The nearest higher neighbor is Bartlett Mesa, to the north-northwest.
Geology Laughlin Peak is an extinct lava dome composed of 6.9 ± 0.80 Ma igneous rock which intruded Cretaceous sedimentary rock.Virginia T. McLemore, Geology and Mineral Resources of the Laughlin Peak Mining District, Colfax County, New Mexico, 2015, New Mexico Geological Society, p. 280. The sedimentary rock has since eroded away, exposing deep gullies carved into the soft pyroclastic and lahar deposits.Viewshed Guide of Features Visible from the Top of Capulin Volcano, National Park Service, npshistory.com, Retrieved February 15, 2026. Laughlin Peak erupted during what is known as the Raton phase of eruptions at the Raton-Clayton volcanic field.Geologic Activity, Capulin Volcano, National Park Service, Retrieved February 15, 2026.
Climate According to the Köppen climate classification system, Laughlin Peak is located in a cool semiarid climate zone (Köppen BSk). The summers are hot during the day, but the high altitude and low humidity mean that nights remain distinctly cool. Most rain falls in the summer from afternoon thunderstorms, and winter snow is common and sometimes heavy.
See also List of mountain peaks of New Mexico
References
External links
Weather: Laughlin Peak Laughlin Peak: National Geodetic Survey Data Sheet