The Cuchara River Valley has a rich history and is one of the last relatively undiscovered treasures of Colorado. The valley is punctuated by the Spanish Peaks which can be seen for miles and were used as a landmark by all those who passed through this area. The Peaks were known to the Comanche as "Wahatoya," which means "Double Mountain." The ancient Indians believed the Spanish Peaks were the home of the rain gods, and therefore the source of life and thought of them as the "breasts of the world." Later, the Ute and Jicarilla Apaches hunted this area and carried forward the belief that it was the original birthplace of all living things.

When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in New Mexico in the 1500's, they noticed the mountain range west of the Peaks turned red at sunrise and named them the "Sangre de Cristo," or "blood of Christ." Other landmarks in the area also given Spanish names include Cucharas (spoon), La Veta (the vein), and Huerfano (orphan).

Today, the area still remains unspoiled and has two centers of activity, La Veta and Cuchara.

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