Cucharas Pass

This article is about the mountain pass. For other places in Colorado, see Cuchara.

Cucharas Pass
The pass in December, 2012.
Elevation	9,995 ft (3,046 m)[1]
Traversed by	SH 12
Location	Las Animas / Huerfano counties, Colorado, United States
Range	Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Coordinates	37°19′13″N 105°04′25″W
Topo map	USGS Cucharas Pass

Cucharas Pass is a 9,995 ft (3,046 m) elevation mountain pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in south central Colorado in the United States.

At the top, the pass is signed as Cuchara Pass and the elevation on the sign there reads 9995 ft. State Highway 12 traverses the pass. Highway 12 is also signed as the Highway of Legends Scenic Byway, one of Colorado's Scenic and Historic Byways.

The region gets its name from the spoon-like shape of the valley, with "cuchara" being the Spanish word for "spoon."[2]

References

1. "Cucharas Pass". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
2. Dawson, John Frank (1954). "Cuchara". Place Names in Colorado: Why 700 Communities Were So Named. p. 16. Retrieved 16 March 2020.