Cabezon Peak is a prominent volcanic plug in northwestern New Mexico, rising sharply above the Rio Puerco Valley and standing out within the Mount Taylor volcanic field. Formed about 2.658 million years ago, it is the hardened core of a volcano whose softer outer materials eroded away, leaving the tower-like neck exposed. The peak’s basalt columns, preserved scoria, and surrounding older Cretaceous rocks make its geologic history unusually visible. Its name, Spanish for “big head,” also connects to a Navajo tradition identifying it as the head of the giant Ye’i-tsoh. Early geologists studied it as a notably clear example of an exhumed volcanic neck.