Cuchara Mountain Resort Could Return After 20 Year Absence

If you have ever traveled south towards Colorado's border with New Mexico, then you may have noticed what looks like the remnants of a ski resort just as you arrive at Trinidad. From a distance, some of the ski runs can still be seen. Up close, however, grass and piping have taken over the once-popular ski resort.

In 1981, Panadero Ski Resort opened. Before finally closing in 1999, the resort went through some ownership and names changes, finally finishing its run as Cuchara Ski Resort. Currently, guests can still visit the area, now known as Huerfano County’s Cuchara Mountain Park. But a group of locals and lovers of the former ski resort are working hard to bring back the winter sport.

With the amount of work yet to be done, including the restoration of a dilapidated, worn-down ski lodge and no snow-making ability as of yet, it could be some time before the resort actually reopens. But a lot of dedicated locals are hard at work to make it happen.

To read about the progress and the story of Cuchara Mountain, check out the Out There Colorado story here.