Cuchara, Colorado

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Cuchara
unincorporated community
Cuchara, Colorado.JPG
Entering Cuchara from the north on State Highway 12.
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Cuchara
Location of Cuchara, Colorado.
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Cuchara
Cuchara (Colorado)
Coordinates: 37°22′45″N105°06′01″W / 37.3792°N 105.1003°W / 37.3792; -105.1003 (Cuchara, Colorado) [1]
Country United States
State Colorado
County Huerfano [2]
Government
 • Type unincorporated community
 • Body Huerfano County [2]
Elevation
[1]
8,468 ft (2,581 m)
Time zone UTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP code [3]
La Veta 81055
Area code 719
GNIS place ID 203635

Cuchara is an unincorporated community located in Huerfano County, Colorado, United States. It is located near a former ski resort in the mountains south of the town of La Veta. [4] State Highway 12 travels through Cuchara as it approaches Trinidad to the southeast.

Contents

History

The Cuchara Camps, Colorado, post office operated from January 20, 1916, until June 15, 1957, when the name was shortened to Cuchara. [5] The Chucara, Colorado, post office closed on June 30, 1959. [5] The La Veta, Colorado, post office (ZIP code 81055) now serves the area. [3]

In the summer of 2018, Cuchara was evacuated due to a wildfire that threatened the town in the middle of their peak season. The evacuation caused local businesses to suffer financially. [6]

Description

Cuchara is situated on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in south-central Colorado. It is west of the Spanish Peaks. Cucharas Pass, at almost 10,000 feet, is a few miles south of the town of Cuchara. The Cucharas River flows on the outskirts of town. The San Isabel National Forest surrounds the town. [4]

In Spanish, "cuchara" means "spoon," reflecting the area's valley being so shaped. [7] A large number of locations are listed as having the name of "Cuchara" or some derivation there of in Huerfano County, including Cuchara Junction northeast of Walsenburg and the Cuchara Formation. [8]

This small town has a few small businesses such as restaurants and small hotels or lodges. This is a midpoint for stopping along the scenic State Highway 12. [9]

Cuchara Mountain Park

Cuchara is the site of the Cuchara Mountain Park, a year-round high-country park that offers traditional skiing and snowboarding, XC skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, disc golf, a bike playground, sledding, and mini golf. The park occupies part of the former Cuchara Ski Resort, which closed in 2000. Now operated by the non-profit Panadero Ski Corporation, the park has a ski bus that carries skiers and snowboarders partway up the mountain, with departures every few minutes. The organization is in the process of renovating one of the old ski lifts and hopes to have it certified for operation soon. [10] [11]

Cuchara Mountain Park (2024) Cuchara Mountain Park 2024.JPG
Cuchara Mountain Park (2024)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Cuchara, Colorado". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Colorado Counties". Colorado Department of Local Affairs . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service . Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Cuchara, Colorado" Sangres.com. Retrieved 23 July 2009. Archived February 25, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  5. 1 2 Bauer, William H.; Ozment, James L.; Willard, John H. (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. ISBN   0-918654-42-4.
  6. ↑ Severancy, Ryan (July 9, 2018). "Cuchara businesses suffering while village is evacuated for the Spring Fire". The Pueblo Chieftain. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  7. ↑ Dawson, John Frank (1954). "Cuchara". Place Names in Colorado: Why 700 Communities Were So Named. p. 16. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  8. ↑ US Geographical Survey (13 October 1978). "Cuchara Junction". GNIS. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  9. ↑ "Cuchara Vacations, Activities & Things To Do | Colorado.com". www.colorado.com. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  10. ↑ "Cuchara Mountain Park". Cuchara Mountain Park. La Veta, Colorado: Panadero Ski Corporation. 2023. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  11. ↑ McCleary, Chase (January 7, 2025). "This once-abandoned Southern Colorado ski hill is now offering $40 lift tickets". Rocky Mountain PBS. Archived from the original on January 13, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
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