Journal 23: Rediscovering Raspberry Mountain (Part 2: 1876 - Present)

Once a rugged wilderness bursting with wild berries and prowled by bears, Raspberry Mountain has steadily evolved from untamed backcountry into a cherished mountain community. Tucked within Colorado’s Spanish Peaks region, it first sustained wildlife and early homesteaders, then welcomed loggers, ranchers, and adventurers. Today, its slopes are dotted with cabins and quiet trails, blending the echoes of frontier grit with the comforts of modern mountain life. Its a living landscape where wilderness and community now coexist.

Tucked into the folds of Colorado’s Spanish Peaks region, Raspberry Mountain may sound like a place out of a storybook and in many ways it is. More than a landmark, this quietly iconic peak has inspired settlers, sustained wildlife, and sparked more than a few bear tales. From berry picking and frontier grit to off-grid cabins and high-country legends, Raspberry Mountain is more than a name on a map. Its a living chapter of Colorado’s mountain heritage, sweetened by nature and steeped in history.

A Berry Unusual Name

No one knows for sure who first called it “Raspberry Mountain,” but the name almost certainly grew from the land itself. Early pioneers likely noticed the wild raspberry bushes that flourished across the slopes—bursting with sweet, red fruit in the heat of summer—and simply called the mountain what it was: a place of raspberries.

Naming landmarks after natural features was a common practice among early settlers, and the Spanish Peaks region offered plenty of inspiration. Raspberry Mountain, with its rocky ridges and mixed conifer and aspen forests, was a prime habitat for wild berries. Every July and August, the slopes would come alive with ripening fruit, attracting both people and wildlife. Hikers today can still find patches of berries along sunny meadows and forest trails.

By the early 1900s, the name was already in wide use across Huerfano County. A 1907 issue of the La Veta Advertiser spoke of a ranch “near Raspberry Mountain,” and in 1915, the Huerfano World reported that the Vories brothers had sold their town business to move onto their ranches on “Raspberry Mountain”.(1)  Even prospectors during the brief mining boom of 1900–1902 referred to the peak by name. Decades later, in 1978, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially recognized “Raspberry Mountain” on federal maps.(2)  

Some mountains get named after saints or conquistadors. Ours got named after dessert toppings. Though the mountain’s name may not carry the drama of a legend or the fame of a battle, its story is rooted in the region’s natural abundance. Locals have long known it as a place for berry picking, deer hunting, and frontier stories told around the fire. For generations, the mountain has offered both sustenance and stories while being a place where nature’s sweetness meets Colorado’s high-country heritage.

Bear-ly Believable Tales from the Mountain

Long before Pinehaven became a peaceful getaway at the foot of Raspberry Mountain, it was the setting for some of Huerfano County’s boldest frontier stories complete with bear hunters, fearless teens, and even live bears paraded through town. These slopes, now home to Pinehaven cabins, once echoed with survival, grit, and more than a few legends.

Raspberry Mountain’s wild berry thickets were more than just scenic, they were bear magnets. Drawn by the sweet fruit, black bears roamed in from all corners of the valley. Add in rugged terrain and a cast of fearless pioneers, and you’ve got the perfect backdrop for some of the region’s most unforgettable frontier legends.

For early homesteaders, bear encounters weren’t rare. They were a way of life. These wild animals became the proving ground for pioneers whose survival demanded courage, marksmanship, and a touch of madness. That’s why, in so many of Raspberry Mountain’s most legendary tales, bears take center stage. They weren’t just predators, they were symbols of the wilderness itself, and the people who faced them earned their place in local lore by standing their ground. Curious about the legendary bear encounters on Raspberry Mountain? I’ve written a dedicated post filled with these wild frontier tales. Check it out here.

From Forest Frontier to Cabin Country

Meanwhile, Raspberry Mountain and the general area experienced significant settlement in the late 1870’s after a wagon road was built over Cuchara Pass. John Powell, the original homesteader who held the first deed for what is now Pinehaven, was a rugged Union Civil War veteran who came over the continental divide in a covered wagon.(3)  By the 1880s, homesteaders had moved into the valley around Raspberry Mountain to raise livestock and make use of its mountain pastures and timber. During this time the forests of Raspberry Mountain and the surrounding foothills began to support a historic logging industry. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several sawmills operated in or near the Cuchara Valley (even if no large mill sat directly on Raspberry Mountain itself).(4) These operations harvested pine and spruce timber from the mountain slopes for building material, mine props, railroad ties, and firewood. However, the logging boom in the Cuchara/Sangre de Cristo high country largely tapered off by the mid-20th century as national forest management curtailed unregulated cutting.(5) (6). 

The village of Cuchara (originally known as Cuchara Camps), established in the early 20th century, developed as a welcoming resort destination for working- and middle-class families seeking outdoor recreation and summer retreats. By 1910, camps and cabins were being built, and by mid-century, developers began creating subdivisions like Pinehaven, nestled on Raspberry Mountain’s lower slopes. For much of its existence, Pinehaven remained off-grid, with electricity and full utility services only arriving in 2008 through the Cucharas Sanitation and Water District. Pinehaven remained delightfully off-grid for decades, long enough for kids to think Wi-Fi was a type of snowshoe.

More Than a Mountain

Today, Raspberry Mountain remains a treasure trove of wild beauty and ecological importance within the San Isabel National Forest. Its forested slopes are cloaked in spruce-fir, aspen groves, and towering ponderosa pines, while its lower elevations burst with willows, cottonwoods, sedges, and lush meadows that fringe cool mountain streams. This diverse habitat continues to shelter iconic wildlife such as Canada lynx, black bear, elk, peregrine falcons, and many more. From montane forests to subalpine meadows and wildflower-covered alpine ridges, Raspberry Mountain offers a sanctuary not only for wildlife but also for hikers, photographers, and solitude-seekers. Though it lies just beyond the boundary of the Spanish Peaks Wilderness Area, Raspberry Mountain stands as a natural extension of that legacy, quietly enriching the landscape along the Highway of Legends with its untamed charm and enduring value.(7)

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Footnotes

Parenthetical numbers in the text (e.g., 5) correspond to the sequentially numbered citations listed below.

1. World Journal, “This Week in History for February 2, 2023,” February 2, 2023, https://worldjournalnewspaper.com/this-week-in-history-for-february-2-2023/#:~:text=1915%3A%20The%20Vories%20brothers%20closed,their%20ranches%20on%20Raspberry%20Mountain. 

2. U.S. Geological Survey, GNIS Detail – ID 203632 Geographic Names Information System, accessed July 17, 2025, https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/gaz-record/78135.

3. Hazel E. Cross and Josephine C. Jochem, River of Friendship (Chicago: Adams Press, 1970), page 13.

4. World Journal, “Meat and Potatoes,” accessed July 17, 2025, https://worldjournalnewspaper.com/meat-and-potatoes/#:~:text=The%20road%20across%20the%20divide,had%20come%20through%20this%20“backdoor”. 

5. World Journal, “Regional History: One Wild Playground,” accessed July 17, 2025, https://worldjournalnewspaper.com/regional-history-one-wild-playground/#:~:text=One%20entity%20that%20negotiated%20a,resigned%20as%20manager%20of%20the.

6. World Journal, “Regional History: One Wild Playground,” accessed July 17, 2025, https://worldjournalnewspaper.com/regional-history-one-wild-playground/#:~:text=While%20the%20new%20ownership%20did,other%20debris%20left%20by%20logging.

7. Author’s note: In preparing this article, the author used AI-assisted tools for research support, proofreading, fact-checking, and stylistic refinement. The narrative, analysis, and historical interpretations are the author’s own, and responsibility for accuracy rests solely with the author. The blog’s research methodology statement is available at:

https://cabininthepinescuchara.blogspot.com/2019/03/methodology-sources-and-use-of-research.html